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Justin Tuck and Deion Branch on INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:17 +0000

SUPER BOWL SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDING INTERVIEWS WITH NEW YORK GIANTS JUSTIN TUCK AND

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS DEION BRANCH

PLUS ATLANTA’S TONY GONZALEZ AND JIM ROME

SUPER BOWL SPECIAL EDITION PREMIERES TONIGHT AT 9 p.m. ET/PT

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 1, 2012) – Prior to their Super Bowl XLVI showdown, New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck and New England Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch sit down for interviews with James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth, and Warren Sapp on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL.

Plus Atlanta Falcons Tony Gonzalez joins INSIDE THE NFL to give an on-field tight end demonstration, and the newest member of the CBS and SHOWTIME family, Jim Rome, joins to give his unique insight into this weekend’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Feb. 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

INSIDE THE NFL, now in its 33^rd season, airs every Wednesday night through the NFL season on SHOWTIME for a total of 23 episodes, with multiple replays each week on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME^® and availability on SHOWTIME On Demand.

INSIDE THE NFL is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films. The executive producers are CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus and NFL Films President Steve Sabol. Pete Radovich Jr., the Emmy Award-winning Creative Director for CBS Sports, serves as coordinating producer.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

Tuck on rushing Tom Brady…

TUCK: You’ve got to be in his face. Some quarterbacks you don’t really care where the rush comes from. But with a guy like Tom, if you allow him to step up and step up into his throws, you’re going to have a long night. And I think that’s why it’s so important for our front four and particularly our defensive tackles, getting people right in his face so he has to be mobile in the pocket. That’s not his strength. When he is able to step up he is deadly. We’ve got some things in that hopefully can knock him off his point and make him be a little bit more of an athlete and I think we stand a better chance of having success against him when we are able to do that.

On his health going into Super Bowl XLVI…

TUCK: It’s the Super Bowl man, I’m great. We can get it all in after this and I can go get the MRIs and all that after this but you don’t ever want to regret having an opportunity like this. The adrenaline of this football game here, you are going to feel like 100%. I don’t care who you are. I expect (Rob) Gronkowski to play because he knows as well I know, playing in this game, I’m not worried about any of the injuries I’ve had. I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got and I told our doctors 10 weeks ago, we’ll deal with that at the end of the year.

On Tom Coughlin coaching through the season while fans called for his termination…

TUCK: He has continued to be the Coughlin that everybody knows, but I think he’s done a great job of allowing his players to have a little bit more say-so. So he’s given us a lot of leeway to make some of the decisions about how we go about things in the locker room and with the Giants and I think it’s paid off for us.

Branch on the difference between playing for the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots…

BRANCH: To commend the guys, things didn’t work out the way we thought it would and I was traded to Seattle which I was very thankful to be blessed to go to another first class organization. You start noticing when you have a high turnover within an organization there is no stability, so therefore you are not producing on the football field. You are not producing wins. Those W’s turn to L’s…When Coach Belichick gave me a call and told me he was thinking of bringing me back, this and that, and trust me I was truly honored to have the opportunity to return to the team that drafted me with the same head coach and the same quarterback. The stability is there (and) the foundation for greatness with this organization

On the New England Patriots playbook…

BRANCH: It is a very complex offense, it is a demanding offense. I think we change so much stuff week to week and daily. There’s so much stuff that we go through during the course of the week and then Friday here it is, they spring another 20 plays on us, 48 hours before the game. That’s just part of being here.

SIMMS: You said it right. It is a memorization offense. One word tells everybody. A lot of offenses have a lot of words and they tell everybody what to do…You have to learn the whole concept.

Lawrence Taylor on INSIDE THE NFL: “as easy as football is to me, is as hard as life is to me”

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:08:20 +0000

FORMER NEW YORK GIANTS HALL OF FAMER LAWRENCE TAYLOR JOINS THIS WEEK’S

INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME^®

TAYLOR: “as easy as football is to me, is as hard as life is to me”

New Episode Tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2012) – Former New York Giants Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor joins James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth, and Warren Sapp on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL.

Taylor sits down with Brown and Collinsworth for his first extensive sit-down interview since being sentenced last March after he pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct. In addition, Taylor shares his thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl and reminisces with Simms about stories from their playing days with the Giants.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On his 2010 arrest:

TAYLOR: As a football player, I know everything about football, I mean as far as defense and stuff. I know what every player is supposed to do. I know where every player is supposed to be. I can see the play before it happens. I know where I’m supposed to be. I know how to manage a football game. The problem with me is, sometimes, managing my life. Because I make a lot of bad decisions and that’s the process that I’m going through now.

TAYLOR: What was I thinking? According to my wife, I wasn’t thinking and she reminds me of that every day for the last year-and-a-half. We, as boys, think that we can do certain things and we’re still going to have that same life we did when we were younger, and sometimes my decision process is not very good. I make mistakes and I make bad decisions. Do I wish this had gone another way and that that day had never happened? Of course I do. The embarrassment I gave my family, the embarrassment of myself.

TAYLOR: Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that, ‘Hey, I’m a chronic bad person. I’m just going out and doing.’ I just get caught up and sometimes you think, you know life is not the same way it was 10 years ago, or 15 years ago. As an athlete, they may overlook a couple things. No. Nowadays, you guys are on 24-hours-a-day so everything that happens is actually exploited a little bit more or is blown up a little bit more and more people know about it. So now you have to really discipline yourself. For years, I had no discipline. I could do what I wanted to do as far as playing in New York. I could do what I wanted to do as long as it was still within the law….Life…sometimes it just throws you some curves and just have to realize that this is a different time and different age and you have to tell yourself to be a man, boy.

TAYLOR: I cannot stress enough that this has not been a great ordeal for me. And I’m quite sure this is not a great ordeal for the girl. And it’s not a good ordeal for my family – my wife, especially. I hear it every day, every day, every day.

TAYLOR: It’s just another experience and I’ve been through a lot of different things in my life and it’s a growing experience. There are times where I get really, really depressed but, thank God, there are a lot of people out there who still believe in me. And they show me every day.

TAYLOR: There is always a heart desire to do the right thing. Nobody wants to go out here – especially a proud guy like myself, I’m not looking to go out here and do something against somebody else or hurt somebody else…but stuff happens, things happen. You get in a car accident, or things happen, and I understand life happens. I understand that. And I just wish that I could have an easier road in life. Because as easy as football is to me…is as hard as life is to me. I’m just hopeful that life will come easier.

On what happened the day of the arrest:

TAYLOR: This is an under-age girl but all I could do is ask the question, how old are you? That’s all I could do. That’s all I could do is ask the question. Now, whether or not the girl was under-age, yes, okay, she turned out to be under-age. I’m sitting in the dagum police station and wondering, ‘Oh wow, what time am I going to be let out of here? If I can play golf, I’ve got a tee time at 7 o’clock.’ I didn’t realize how serious it was until we sat down and had an interview. But regardless… regardless, if I asked her the question, I’m still responsible for that. And I understand that process or the law. I understand that. And all I can do is just say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to learn from your experiences.’ …That’s one thing I’ve done. I’ve taken the long road on a lot of different things. I’ve taken the long road, you know like when I had my drug problem. Yea, I’ve been clean for almost 13 years now but it took me a while. I had to learn…I took the long road. And this is another thing that I’m just going to have to take my medicine and live with my punishment, whatever that is.

On the state of defense today in the NFL:

TAYLOR: They still play defense? They still play defense in the NFL? I didn’t know that. I thought it was a free-for-all. Everybody just run, run, run. The only people I see playing defense right now is the New York Giants defensive line. Those are the only people playing football… because they bring it.

TAYLOR: How do you instill fear into a player if you can’t make contact – I mean serious contact – with him? Guys, we used to hit where guys would be blowing snot bubbles. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s how you make a player scared to play you. When I was playing back in the days, I always prided myself on being a very clean player but thorough. When I went through you, I went through you. I want to go through because that’s how you make people say, ‘Well, I really don’t want to be hit by him so many times.’

On the harsh Twitter comments directed at Ravens return man Kyle Williams:

SAPP: There’s a general rule when you’re on Twitter, if you won’t say it to a man’s face then don’t type it. Because to threaten a man’s family, death over a kids game like football – that’s all it is, just a game – I call them “computer cowards” because you’re sitting back in your living room and there’s no chance of Kyle Williams and you going face-to-face or in a match to the death so why would you type something like that? That’s disrespectful.

COLLINSWORTH: I’ll say there’s a line there. I mean if you tweet some of that stuff to the President of the United States, you’re going to jail. So what’s the difference? I mean, we’re talking about a young man, who is probably 23, 24-years-old, whatever he is, and you’re threatening his life? And there’s a way to trace that. There’s a way to go find out who it is that sent those messages. A little knock on the door from some authority figure might be in order.

Lawrence Taylor Joins The Cast Tonight on INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:52:10 +0000

NFL HALL OF FAMER LAWRENCE TAYLOR TO JOIN THE CAST ON THIS WEEK’S EPSIODE OF

INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME^®

New Episode Tonight/Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2012) – The New York Giants NFL Hall of Fame linebacker and two-time Super Bowl Champion Lawrence Taylor will join James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL. Taylor, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive players in league history, will be on set to discuss the New York Giants’ and New England Patriots’ respective roads to the Super Bowl.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

LaDainian Tomlinson Speaks Out on Jets Locker room on INSIDE THE NFL on Showtime

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:21:12 +0000

NEW YORK (Jan. 18, 2012) – New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson joins James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp on this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL where he gives his insight and take on the locker room feud between quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Plus INSIDE THE NFL breaks down the upcoming AFC and NFC Championship games.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On Tomlinson’s insight inside Jets locker room drama…
JB: Did it get out-of-hand?

Tomlinson: It got out-of-hand toward the end of the season. That is why it got out in the media. This is something that happened (in the) third or fourth week of the season, that was going on, and nobody knew about it because the players kept it under wraps. Until we went on that losing streak and guys started to speak up and speak out about certain things.

Collinsworth: Mark Sanchez has been the lightening rod. A lot of players don’t think he should be. Santonio Holmes was taken out of the game for basically stirring it up in the huddle. How bad was it and can it be fixed for those two?

Tomlinson: It is as bad as I’ve ever been around, honestly. And I’ve been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I’ve been around. You know it was at the point where I think the players could no longer do anything about it. There was nothing that the players could do. So when it gets to that point there are certain changes that need to happen. Can it be fixed, Cris? I think absolutely it can be. But they’re going to have to make some tough decisions.

JB: In terms of getting rid of some players?

Tomlinson: Guys think about this. They (Jets Organization) created this. This is the type of football team that they wanted. Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style, say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying I’m not getting the ball or whatever it may be.

On whether or not Sanchez can overcome the drama…

Tomlinson: I think he can overcome it. I think, the guy that said, that came at him, I don’t know who it was, that said Sanchez was lazy, but I disagree with that. The guy is not lazy, guys. He is not a lazy guy. He puts in the time after practice in the film room. He can get it done. He just has to have pieces around him to help him get it done.

On whether or not Sanchez is pampered…

Tomlinson: Yes he is, I would say a bit pampered because he has no competition. He has no real threat to say this guy may take my job.

On whether or not Tomlinson would bring both Sanchez and Holmes back…

Tomlinson: Whew, that is a tough one. I would really have to sit down with them and see if they can co-exist, honestly. I mean that is a decision that I really have to make. And if I really feel like they can’t, then you have to make a move.

On decision to change offense in off-season to a passing game with a wide open offense…

Tomlinson: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So a team that was coming off two straight AFC Championship games relied heavily on the run. My opinion now, why would you just totally switch up your identity at that point?

On brash, in-your-face style of Jets…

Tomlinson: I think it can be effective because there are certain guys that you have to have on your team if you are going to be that way. You know it. If you are going to be that way you better have certain types. You better have some bad guys on your team that just don’t care about certain things, that speak up and say certain things. But if you’re not going to be that team, if you don’t have that personnel for that team, you can’t do it. You can’t be that team.

JB: And that is where the pitfalls are if you don’t have those kinds of players. Because have had enough guys that say they love playing for Rex:

Tomlinson: I love playing for Rex. I really do. He is a great guy to play for.

On Rex’s public bold predictions and statements for Jets and their opponents…

Tomlinson: I would prefer him not to say it as much as he did. I don’t mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship. Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, ‘Hey, our goal is to win a championship.’ But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, ‘Let’s shut this guy up. Let’s shut these Jets up, just end their season.’ I think that adds to that when Rex speaks up like that because, you know, everybody doesn’t like that type of style, and they’re not supposed to. But at the same time there are certain things that you can do to not have it come off like that.

On Mark Sanchez-Santonio Holmes feud…

Tomlinson: Well, the East Coast-West Coast was something we poked fun at in the locker room amongst the players…Everybody heard about the Santonio and Mark Sanchez kind of beef, so we called it East Coast-West Coast beef. Santonio being the East Coast from Florida, Mark Sanchez being the West Coast from California. So we poked fun at it being the East Coast-West Coast beef. But in all seriousness, Santonio, obviously, he is a great player. There are some things that obviously he needs to work on as far as being a leader.

Collinsworth: But it is great that you guys elected him captain, vote of the players and everything.

Tomlinson: Well, I’ve got to say, the players had nothing to do with that vote. Coaches vote on the captains with the Jets.

News, Notes and Quotes from INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:46:10 +0000

NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2012) – On this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL, James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth, and Warren Sapp engaged in some lively discussion about teams facing tough off-season decisions, such as the Indianapolis Colts with their No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and the New York Jets with the future of Santonio Holmes.

Plus, Michael Lombardi joins INSIDE THE NFL for a special coaches edition of the Lombardi Report.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Jan. 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On what Colts should do with No. 1 pick in 2012 NFL Draft…

COLLINSWORTH: The perfect scenario for me is – even if it costs me a season or two with a horrible salary cap – is to keepPeyton Manning and draft Andrew Luck. I can’t create a better scenario for the next 10 years of my franchise than to have Peyton Manning showing Andrew Luck how to play the quarterback position because the way that Peyton does it is so unique to the game right now and that’s what I would want. Now, you have to ask the question, you know, would Peyton Manning be willing to do that? Are you willing to pay Peyton Manning $[28] million? For my money, yes I would. I would do it exactly like that.

SIMMS: I just can’t see Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck being there [together in Indianapolis]. It’s counter-productive….Coaches don’t do that. We’re talking about the first pick of the draft.

On whether Peyton Manning would try to leave Colts…

SAPP: When has a player ever forced his way off of anything? This [isn’t] baseball with no-trade contracts. [Peyton] is not part of the process. You are my property. I paid you all these years. Shut up and I’ll do what I want with my organization. Here’s your check. Go play quarterback. There’s your back-up. Now, what are you going to do about it?

COLLINSWORTH: The question is, would Peyton Manning want to stay there? …If you’re going to take the first overall pick and essentially spend it on my replacement instead of going out and getting me help on the offensive line or at the receiver position or whatever, do I want to be there? Because now you’re telling me that you’ve already begun the rebuilding process.

On idea of drafting Andrew Luck and trading Peyton Manning…

COLLINSWORTH: It’s the gutsiest call of all time but it’s not totally illogical to make that trade because now you go getAndrew Luck, you get a couple of first round draft picks back for Peyton Manning. After [the Colts organization] looked at this football team this year, you know you could say that [they] have got to re-start the whole process and Peyton is not going to make that big of a difference.

On situation in New York with Santonio Holmes…

LOMBARDI: There’s a huge dysfunction faction going on with the New York Jets and it starts with Santonio Holmes. What happened at the end of the game was really just the tip of the iceberg. This has been going on all season. I’ve been told reliably from people in the building that they feel Santonio Holmes ruined their entire season, his behavior in the locker room…They feel like he’s the reason why their season really went into the tank.

SIMMS: [The Jets] have got to keep [Santonio Holmes] because they just signed him last year to a big contract. So there’s no way – salary cap-wise, I don’t think – that they could trade him. Nobody is going to trade for him to begin with and the money (that Holmes is still owed) would be too big of a factor.

On San Diego Chargers sticking with Norv Turner…

LOMBARDI: Philip Rivers is pretty demonstrative and I think it was Philip Rivers going to Dean Spanos and convincing him that we can stay together as a team, that we’ll overcome these mistakes. A little bit like the Houston Texas last year where they kept Gary Kubiak. They kept him in place and they got better and made the playoffs. And I think it was really Philip Rivers and the players of the San Diego Chargers that really got him back.

On Miami Dolphins’ coaching scenario…

LOMBARDI: The Miami Dolphins interviewed Jeff Fisher. They are going to span the globe. I think they want a big name coach. Fisher will be very difficult to get because there is another team – St. Louis – who also want his services.

On Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching scenario…

LOMBARDI: Gene Smith, the general manager [of the Jacksonville Jaguars], confirmed that they are spanning the globe and everything is tied to Blaine Gabbert. They want somebody to come in and promote Blaine Gabbert and become more offensive. Right now, I would believe that Rob Chudzinski, the Carolina offensive coordinator would be the lead guy in that role but I would think there are a lot of people who are going to look for that job. But it should be an offensive coach.

On Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ coaching scenacio…

LOMBARDI: They want someone who has got some toughness to him, somebody who has been a head coach before. The name I keep hearing, Mike Sherman, formerly fired from Texas A&M, was the Packers head coach. He’s a name that keeps coming around.

On St. Louis Rams’ coaching scenario…

LOMBARDI: St. Louis. They really want Jeff Fisher. They really want a big name coach. They need an experienced coach. They’re going to go all in on Jeff Fisher. They’ve got an inside track.

On Kansas City Chiefs’ coaching scenario…

LOMBARDI: Kansas City is going to stay with Romeo Crennel. They are interviewing other coaches but I think, at the end of the day, they’ll come back to Romeo Crennel because the team wants him and he’s been a part of the Patriots system, something they need badly.

Maurice Jones-Drew Joins This Week’s Episode of INSIDE THE NFL on SHOWTIME

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:47:03 +0000

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS’ MAURICE JONES-DREW JOINS VIA SATELLITE TO TALK ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ON PLAYERS HIDING THEIR CONCUSSIONS

New Episode Tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2011) – On this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL, James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth, and Warren Sapp are joined via satellite by Maurice Jones-Drew, running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as he talks about the controversial comments he made in this week’s Associated Press article regarding players hiding their concussions in order to stay in the game.

Plus Michael Lombardi joins INSIDE THE NFL for a special Lombardi Report.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Dec. 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

Interview with Maurice Jones-Drew where he expands on his comments made to the Associated Press about playing through a concussion…

JONES-DREW: Long term [effects], I can’t really think about that. All I can really think about is what I can do now for this organization, for my family, whoever I can, to help this team out. That’s just my way of thinking. The other guys think a different way, other guys are looking towards the future but, I figure if I can’t take care of them now there will be no future. So that’s something I continue to work on and try and get better at. Obviously if you do have concussions…they’ve done a lot of protocols to help you get back in and do whatever they can to protect the brain. And I commend the league on doing that but at the same time as a player you have to think about being labeled as a guy who gets concussions and not being able to get a job, or being labeled as an injury-prone type of guy and teams backing away from you. And so at the end of the day this is a multi-billion dollar business and that’s what we’re playing. Let’s be serious. You’re playing this way to be famous and to take care of your families.

COLLINSWORTH: We’ve heard in the past that people fake injuries for a variety of reasons in the NFL. Now you are saying we have to fake health. We basically have to fake the idea that we are OK to go play the game.

JONES-DREW: I don’t see it as faking. In certain situations; an ankle sprain you can play through, a broken leg you can’t. A ding is a ding, a concussion is a concussion. And so there are guys that are going to get dinged up. I play running back. I get hit in the head every play. I think I’ve been face-masked about 100 times this year; I’ve been driven into the ground. And there are all these different things that go on and I don’t have headaches or anything like that, that last a long time. When you get dinged though, off a good hit, it’s a good hit. That’s how I was raised playing the game. There are things that you have to be able to play through in this game and that is why we play football. That’s why we’re called football players.

COLLINSWORTH: The basic premise of what [Jones-Drew] said is true. When you have dings, if you don’t go back out on the field, than you’re not going to play long… It is an interesting dynamic going on here. And that is, the NFL keeps telling everybody how dangerous these concussions are. And I think the players are getting the message and that’s a great thing. One of the problems is a lot of moms are getting this message too. And there are a lot of moms out there that have a lot of influence over whether or not their children are playing football or not. And believe me, there are a lot of people thinking, is this right for my kid?

COLLINSWORTH: You know what’s really interesting is, what Maurice Jones-Drew said, ‘I was raised that way.’ In other words that’s how you play football. If you get dinged you go back in the game. I was raised that way. And it really struck a chord with me. Sometimes it takes the next generation to start playing a different way. He’s right. We were raised to play and throw our bodies around and if you got dinged you went back in the game. That’s how you were a tough guy. But the bottom line of what he said is absolutely true. If you keep taking yourself out of the game, you’re not going to be playing this game for long.

On this upcoming Sunday’s Cowboys vs. Giants game…

COLLINSWORTH: Felix Jones, it is time for him to answer the bell. Here’s a guy that over the years he’s been sort of a, sometimes he’s a factor, sometimes he is not. But it’s all on him now. DeMarco Murray is out; he has that fractured ankle, and now is the moment. Felix Jones was drafted for this moment. If they don’t get the balance, if they can’t slowdown that pass rush a little bit with some form of running game, I don’t think the Cowboys can win it.

SIMMS: I don’t think we can underscore Tony Romo and the hand. You know, one, he plays down in Dallas. It is basically an indoor stadium. Now he’s going outside. I kind of compare it a little bit to Drew Brees. You know, they are not as good on the road because there is something about being in those domes where the passing game just clicks. So that hand’s hurting, the pass rush, even though the weather is not going to be severe, it’s going to be enough. I think it is going to be a problem for Tony Romo.

On Cam Newton…

COLLINSWORTH: You’re talking about a guy [Cam Newton] that may be changing the game a little bit. In that, okay, we’ve all been talking about Tim Tebow this whole time, whatever. But this guy (Newton) has proven that he can stand in the pocket and make some throws. It’s something.

Michael Lombardi’s thoughts on the St. Louis Rams…

LOMBARDI: I think St. Louis obviously has been really a disappointment last year. After winning seven games they come back. They’re going to make a lot of changes. I think St. Louis is going to rebuild their entire organization with new owner Stan Kroenke in there, front office included. I think there are going to be many changes in St. Louis. Jeff Fisher is a logical choice there [for head coach]. The one survivor in St. Louis will be Kevin Demoff, he is the chief executive officer. Kevin Demoff’s father is Marvin Demoff who represents Jeff Fisher so there’s a lineage there between the two.

On this upcoming Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos game…

COLLINSWORTH: Now it really comes down to one guy in my estimation. Tamba Hali is a beast. And he is athletic enough to not only take Tim Tebow and force him to pitch the ball on those option plays, but go make the tackle out there too. He is one of the great talents in this league. And really he doesn’t get a whole lot of help in the pass rush in Kansas City.

On the Cincinnati Bengals…

SAPP: The Bengals are like the Tampa Bay Bucaneers when I first got there. There were a lot of walls that needed to be broken down and they only have one win versus a team that has better than .500 record right now. So when the going gets tough the Bengals kind of cower away from that challenge. So I want to see if they are going to come out this Sunday and meet the Baltimore Ravens at the 50-yard line and fight for four quarters for a playoff spot.

SIMMS: You know this is a new group and Marvin Lewis, the head coach (Cincinnati Bengals), he got a second chance with the same team. How many coaches in history get to do that? And you can see the difference in their attitude, the way they play, the way they look. I did get a chance to talk to him this week and he’s got a young team and you know what he says, ‘I know two things about this game this weekend. I am going to see something incredible from my team because of that young talent.’ But he goes, ‘I also know I’m going to see something incredibly stupid too.’ But it’s exciting. I think that you can hear it when you talk to him how excited he is because he is in control again and the young players buy into what they are doing.

This Week on INSIDE THE NFL on Showtime…

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:30:25 +0000

BILL PARCELLS, BILL BELICHICK AND

STEVE SPURRIER REFLECT ON THEIR ARMY/NAVY EXPERIENCES

New Episode Tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Followed by A GAME OF HONOR at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME

NEW YORK (Dec. 21, 2011) – On this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL, James Brown, Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth, and Warren Sapp talk about this season’s quarterbacks. With Dan Marino’s 27-year-old record for single season passing yards set to be broken by three of today’s quarterbacks, INSIDE THE NFL discusses the rules changes over the years that have led to this year’s quarterback surpassing the long-standing record.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Dec. 21 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Plus, Bill Parcells, a former assistant coach at Army, and Bill Belichick, whose father was head coach at Navy, reflect on their experiences with Army and Navy in a special feature about what it is like to be involved with the military Academies and their football programs. South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier talks about playing against Navy. Following tonight’s INSIDE THE NFL is the premiere of the SHOWTIME and CBS co-produced documentary film, A GAME OF HONOR at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On the fact that at least three quarterbacks are poised to surpass Dan Marino’s single season passing record…

COLLINSWORTH: What’s really incredible to me is the fact that Drew Brees this year is probably going to shatter Dan Marino’s record for most yards. I mean, shatter it, and it is a little bit of an after- thought.

BROWN: (to Sapp) You made a comment on a show, and some of the guys looked at you funny. What was your comment?

SAPP: I thought three quarterbacks would break Dan Marino’s record. After it standing for so long, these rules have opened up the middle of the field and none of these receivers that are crossing the middle fear getting hit anymore. And when you don’t fear getting hit, you’ll go anywhere.

COLLINSWORTH: There is one other thing that, really to me, made the biggest difference, and that’s the illegal contact penalty. Because now what’s happening is the double moves are deadly; the out-and-ups, the stop-and-go’s. Because now as a defender you’re naturally going to go hit the guy. I mean when I ran an out-and-up, the defender would laugh at you because they would come and just go (pow) and knock you out. Where now, you can’t do it.

BROWN: Dan Marino, I mean that record stood for 27 years. Imagine what he would have been like in today’s game.

On Indianapolis…

SAPP: Listen, it is very simple. If they win another football game, they are in jeopardy of losing this first pick. Because getting in a tie-breaker with Minnesota and flipping a coin and all this crazy stuff and all the numbers in it, they win another football game, they are losing this number one pick.

BROWN: …Should they tank it?

COLLINSWORTH: See that is the issue that I have. And I know that the NBA, they do the lottery, and I actually am in favor of that. I hate it when we get to this point in the season and anybody uses that word. That somebody would intentionally lose a football game to get a top pick. But I understand it… I understand the conversation. So why not eliminate the conversation? Take the top or the worst five teams, have some kind of a drawing, let that determine who is the first pick.

Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto II – Feb. 11 on SHOWTIME – SHOWTIME and CBS Join Forces in Support of Ortiz-Berto Rematch

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:54:56 +0000

VICTOR ORTIZ vs. ANDRE BERTO II

LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & PHOTOS

Monday, Dec. 19, JW Marriott At L.A. LIVE, Los Angeles, Calif.

The Rematch Of One Of Most Exciting Fights Of 2011
Is Set For Saturday, Feb. 11, At The MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.

The Eagerly Awaited 12-Round Welterweight Fight To Be Televised Live with

Co-feature Bout(s) on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. EST/PST (Delayed on the West Coast);

Plus Additional Undercard Fights Will Air Live on SHOWTIME EXTREME

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 19, 2011) – Ten months after a classic and spirited slugfest that is a definite “Fight of the Year” candidate, former World Champions “Vicious” Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s), of Ventura, Calif. and Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO’s), of Winter Haven, Fl., will slug it out again on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. EST/PST, delayed on the West Coast).

The eagerly awaited 12-round fight is a rematch of a fiercely contested, multiple-knockdown affair on April 16 that Ortiz won by a unanimous decision (114-112, 114-111 and 115-110) while capturing Berto’s World Boxing Council (WBC) 147-pound title. Both fighters were knocked down twice in the fight, with Berto being dropped in the first, Ortiz going down a round later and each of them hitting the deck in a wild sixth round that many are calling the Round of the Year.

“Repeat or Revenge: Ortiz vs. Berto II“ is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment. Tickets, priced at $300, $150, $100 and $50, are on sale and are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase atwww.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Quotes from Monday’s press conference are below:

“VICIOUS” VICTOR ORTIZ

“My team kind of said it all. I don’t need to say a whole lot. I prepare very well. I know I’m up against a tough opponent. I captured the world championship and went for the best. I’ll leave everything in the ring and bring home the victory once again. I don’t hate anybody. I respect all of them. We’re here to box and fight and make a great show on February 11^th. I’m ready.

“I’m being counted out once again. Once again, not the best of the best. Once again, I’m too nice. You know what, I’ll show you February 11^th why Andre Berto belongs where he’s at and why I’ve made him belong there. I don’t need to say anything more than that.”

ANDRE BERTO

“I have put in the time and worked very hard to get to where I am.

“This is a tremendous opportunity. I’m ready to get it on. I’ve had to improve my game. I’ve had a hard, tough training camp and just have to stay focused and get the job done.

“I’m hungrier than ever. I predict a win.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER (CEO of Golden Boy Promotions)

”We are definitely starting out 2012 with a big bang. ‘Ortiz-Berto II’ is boxing at its best and the single biggest fight that can be made outside of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

“We are all very excited. This is the first time a premium channel fight is being supported like a pay-per-view event. SHOWTIME is planning to do a Fight Camp 360.

“Their first fight may be ‘Fight of the Year’ and both guys want to set the record straight. The rematch might be 2012 ‘Fight of the Year.’ Both of these world champions are guaranteed to put on a great show.

The 147-pound division is the one with all the biggest names and we have two of them fighting each other.

“We’re expecting a sellout.“I really want to thank Stephen Espinoza and SHOWTIME for stepping up the way they have. This will be an incredible night of boxing.’’

STEPHEN ESPINOZA (Executive Vice President, General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports)

“I’m very excited and proud to have this as my first official press conference. I’m more excited and more proud that this is the first fight that I acquired in my position as Executive Vice President (and General Manager) of SHOWTIME Sports and Event Programming. This fight is the most compelling, most exciting, most highly anticipated fight available. That’s why it was my No. 1 priority from the very first minute I accepted the position with SHOWTIME…to make sure that this fight appeared on SHOWTIME.

“Not only am I excited and proud to have this as SHOWTIME programming but all of my colleagues are excited as well. We will be receiving the support of our parent company, CBS and all of its platforms, which includes the free television network, CBS Interactive and other CBS Sports Networks. All of these plans will be developing more as time goes forward.

“When they are deserving, we’ll be airing what used to be non-televised undercards on SHOWTIME EXTREME before the telecast begins on SHOWTIME. This will be an opportunistic play for our network based on multiple factors. SHO EXTREME has blossomed into one of the strongest cable television and sports programming outlets. SHO EXTREME is where we replay all our boxing and MMA events, and the rest of our award-winning sports programming such as Inside the NFL, Inside NASCAR, The Franchise.

“This is going to be an amazing fight between two of the brightest young stars in the sport and that’s yet another reason why it was important for SHOWTIME to acquire this event. These are two world-class athletes and just as importantly, if not more importantly, two world-class young men, very articulate, very personable and they are exactly the type of young men that SHOWTIME wants to be in business with. I’m looking toward to February 11^th. It’s guaranteed to be a great event.’’

ROLANDO ARELLANO (Ortiz’s manager)

“We at Team Ortiz will convey nothing but respect to Andre Berto. We know he is a great fighter. We know that he has the courage of a warrior with a great team. We know that he is hungry and that his thirst for revenge is present. We clearly understand all those facts. The only way we know how to respect him, our sport and the fans is to prepare for this fight like never before.

“I will pledge to our fans that Victor will raise his standards in this fight like never before. If Andre Berto thought he ran into a freight train last time, this time he will feel the (hurt) of a nuclear bomb.’’

TONY MORGAN (Berto’s Trainer)

“Berto was just out of it the last fight. He tried to come in light. He was completely deficient. We found out after that he was anemic, but no excuses. Victor fought his butt off. I’m not making excuses. I’m just saying Berto wasn’t 100 percent. This time, we’ll be 100 percent and we’ll see the true outcome. I think we knock him out. I just hope for a good fight.”

About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Reciever Hines Ward Appears on Inside the NFL on SHOWTIME – Tonight at 9 p.m.

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:22:25 +0000

THIS WEEK’S INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME^®

PITTSBURGH STEELERS WIDE RECEIVER HINES WARD JOINS VIA SATELLITE

NEW YORK (Dec. 14, 2011) – On this week’s edition of INSIDE THE NFL, Super Bowl XL MVP and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward speaks with Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp about approaching 1,000 career catches, James Harrison’s suspension and the health of Ben Roethlisberger.

Host James Brown and analysts Phil Simms, Collinsworth and Sapp discuss what they believe to be the season’s biggest story, Green Bay’s pursuit of perfection or “Tebow Time” in Denver. The program will also feature a special segment on Susannah Collins’ recent trip to take a lesson from the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders.

This week’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL premieres tonight, Dec. 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On his feelings regarding the NFL suspending teammate James Harrison…

WARD: We can’t win this battle. For me to even comment on anything, I’m waving the towel. Some of the guys were teasing us that it’s like going into a Third World country and we’re throwing rocks at a tank. It’s not going to lead to anything. We’re just mad. We’re never going to win that battle. You even heard it from me, I’m throwing in the towel right now. We’re sorry. We’re throwing in the towel. We can’t win that battle.

On the health of Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger…

WARD: He’s walking around in a boot. I don’t foresee him taking any reps until probably Friday. But me knowing Ben [Roethlisberger], he’s a warrior. He’s going to go out there and try to do all he can to go out there and compete. He’s having a great year. And for us, you know what, it’s going to take all of us. If he’s not able to play, you know our defense guys have to step it up a little bit and maybe, you know, score a defensive touchdown. Or special teams, with [kick/punt returner] Antonio Brown back there, we always have a chance to make up for a loss of Ben on the offensive side.

On this weekend’s match-up against the San Francisco 49ers…

WARD: No disrespect to the teams we have left with three games left, this is probably our last time that we get a warm-up for playoff football. So it’s going to be a great test for our team to go out there and see if we can handle a hostile environment and playing on prime time.

On being nine catches away from 1,000 career receptions…

WARD: That would just be an amazing record. You know, only seven guys in NFL history have ever caught a thousand balls and for me to do it all with this great organization – who is pretty much known as a run-oriented offense…it’s just a big honor…

On which is the bigger story: Green Bay Packers pursuit of perfection or Tebow Time…

SIMMS: [Tebow Time] is the biggest story. It’s everywhere. And rightly so because so many people said he couldn’t do it and I think they are seeing a big transformation right before [their] eyes. As I watch him each week – you know I love this – all the ex-quarterbacks say that you can’t change the way you throw. Who made that rule? …Look at all the quarterbacks in the league that have gotten better as they’ve stayed in it. And the biggest one of all, Aaron Rodgers, look how he changed. I’m watching Tim Tebow definitely throwing the football better.

COLLINSWORTH: To me, [Tebow Time] is the best story. [The 2011 season] may be the best year of stories that I’ve ever been around in the National Football League. I mean, we have the potential of seeing the greatest NFL team ever. If the Packers win the Super Bowl and go undefeated in a 16-game schedule – which has never been done before – and win a second Super Bowl, you have to say that this is the greatest team that’s ever played. So that’s a great story. But what’s going on with Tim Tebow…this is unbelievable. Plus, you have the added dimension of his religious beliefs and how that sort of divides everybody at the same time.

Delving further into the topic of Tim Tebow…

COLLINSWORTH: I ask you a question, JB, if Tim Tebow were of any other religious faith – okay, any other – and he were persecuted the way Tim Tebow has [been] – and if you think [“persecute”] is too strong a word, I’ll show you some articles that were written about Tim Tebow – any other faith, I’m telling you every major newspaper in the world would be coming to his defense. I’m saying, what do we expect out of this kid? He’s almost the perfect guy that you’d want to have marry your daughter. He’s playing great football. He’s out there and finally people are starting to jump on the bandwagon. And I’m laughing at them. I’m laughing at them right now.

BROWN: I am not going to run from that question because you know I could deliver a sermon on that one. There is no question [Tim Tebow] would not be ridiculed if he were of any other persuasion.

COLLINSWORTH: I think the first three quarters are about skill and talent and the raw ability of these incredible athletes in the NFL. And the fourth quarter – when you are dead on your feet, you’re exhausted, you’re out there just fighting for whatever you have and it turns into a fist fight for that last quarter to see who is going to get the thumbs up or the thumbs down on the day – and that’s when Tim Tebow is at his best. This guy, he used to wrestle defensive linemen at the University of Florida. He would take on anybody. He’s just a fighter and it shows up in the fourth quarter.

Phil Simms Questions Packers and Warren Sapp Calls Out Bears on Inside the NFL on SHOWTIME – Premieres Tonight at 9p ET/PT

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:33:09 +0000

THIS WEEK’S INSIDE THE NFL ON SHOWTIME^®

WARREN SAPP CALLS OUT THE CHICAGO BEARS DEFENSE:

“THIS DEFENSE ISN’T ELITE ANYMORE”

PHIL SIMMS QUESTIONS THE GREEN BAY PACKERS:

“HOW CAN YOU NOT BE ALARMED…WHEN YOU WATCH THEIR DEFENSE PLAY?”

NEW YORK (Dec. 7, 2011) – Host James Brown and analysts Phil Simms, Cris Collinsworth and Warren Sapp discuss whether the contenders have separated themselves from the pretenders with four games remaining in the 2011 NFL season on tonight’s episode of INSIDE THE NFL

Additionally on this week’s show, the formidable foursome will tackle the impact of key injuries to possible playoff participants like the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. The episode – which premieres tonight, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME – also covers the mental meltdowns of Week 13.

Following are excerpts from this week’s episode:

On the league’s best teams…

SIMMS: When I look at this whole list of teams, the one that really jumps out at me – the two – Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I don’t see the glaring weakness in their football teams. The Green Bay Packers? How can you not be alarmed a little bit when you watch their defense play? I would not feel comfortable knowing that my offense has to go out there and score a lot of points.

On whether the Houston Texans can continue to win with a third-string quarterback…

SIMMS: I think [Houston] has the fever. Gary Kubiak definitely has the fever. And I think they can overcome the fact that they’ve lost their first two quarterbacks.

COLLINSWORTH: I do think Houston can keep it going. One, I don’t think their schedule is impossible. But the thing I like about Houston, you don’t have to have a pocket thrower to win in that offense. They have great running backs. I still think Arian Foster is so underrated as a player, as a receiver, as a runner. He just gets it done up front. But it’s all bootleg action off of that. So now you’re getting your quarterback out on the edge. It’s not that sit-in-the-pocket, takes-a-lot-of-experience-to-read-the-whole-field kind of thing. It’s one guy, two guys, maybe somebody in the flat. So a young player can come in there and still win in that style of offense.

SAPP: First time I’ve ever looked at a team and said, “A third team quarterback just might beat me.” I think they’ll separate themselves with that schedule and that defense and Wade Phillips calling.

On the Chicago Bears situation heading into Week 14…

SAPP: This defense isn’t elite anymore, fellas. [The Bears] don’t have an elite defense and in the last two weeks, they are minus four in the giveaway/takeaway [category]. The biggest thing I question: [offensive coordinator] Mike Martz. You’ve got to pull that offense back. You can’t just keep handing every quarterback that did something the whole game plan, the whole package and say, “Go out there and get it done.” And now Matt Forte is gone? I don’t see it.

SIMMS: The Bears have a good team; Why didn’t they have a backup [quarterback] that was a proven veteran who if you lose Jay Cutler – who is a big part [of the team] – that it won’t be such a fall off?

COLLINSWORTH: Did they really understand how important Jay Cutler was? That to me is the issue. There are a couple of defensive coordinators I talked to here lately [and they] have just said, “They had no idea what they had in Jay Cutler.” I mean, he saved that offensive line. Three runners coming at him and he’s making somebody miss, making a play like a Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.

On the Detroit Lions recent meltdowns…

SAPP: I understand when you are a doormat for a long time because I played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it’s a mindset you have to change within your organization and your opponent because we’re not just [an easy] win anymore. But the way [Detroit is] doing it is a little bit chippy, a little bit echo-of-the-whistle and now it’s coming back to them. And I don’t think they can play on that edge. You know it’s a fine line between genius and madness and I think they fall on the madness side.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound uing Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.