ekansekans's blog: "df"

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Justin Tuck called it a funny year. He and his New York Giants teammates werent laughing. There will be no repeat championship for the Giants, not even a playoff berth. A 9-7 season wasnt good enough this time around. New Yorks playoff hopes ended Sunday minutes after a 42-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles when Chicago beat Detroit 26-24. "It happens that way," Tuck said after the Giants rebounded from two bad losses in what might have been Andy Reids final game as Eagles coach. "Ive been 10-6 and not made the playoffs. Youve got to win the ones youre supposed to. Thats why the division games mean so much. If wed won the division games, wed still be in the drivers seat." Instead, they are headed home early. "We are certainly disappointed we are not in the playoffs," coach Tom Coughlin said after New York missed the post-season for the third time in four years. "Our goal was certainly to be there. Our goal was to win the division. We didnt do that, either. We won nine games and there is no way anyone can talk us out of that. We do have the nine wins, but its not good enough." A year ago it was. The Giants won their last two games in 2011 to get into the playoffs, and finished the season with six straight wins in earning their second NFL title in five seasons. This marks the seventh straight season the Super Bowl champion has failed to win a playoff game the following year. A little more than an hour after Reid finished his worst season with the Eagles (4-12), three people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that his 14-year tenure as Philadelphias coach was over. Reid was scheduled to meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie on Monday to discuss his future and an official announcement will come afterward, according to one person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a final agreement hadnt been reached. That person said theres a chance Reid might remain with the team in some capacity. Reid is due to make $6 million in 2013 in the final year of his contract. He said he wants to coach next year, but its possible Lurie could persuade him to take a season off and perhaps help out in the front office in an "advisory" role. Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko denied several reports that Lurie had already fired Reid, saying they were "absolutely, 100 per cent" untrue. "Ive been doing it a long time. I have respect for Jeff Lurie. I go in eyes wide open," Reid said. "Either way, I understand. Whatever he chooses will be the right thing. He always does things for the best interests of the Eagles." Eli Manning did his part to keep the Giants in the chase with a career-best five touchdown passes. Fans who stuck around were chanting "Lets Go Lions" as the final moments ticked off in the Chicago-Detroit game. "It hurts," said Manning, who finished 13 of 21 for 208 yards and no interceptions. "Each year you want to make the playoffs to give yourself an opportunity to win a championship; 9-7 last year was good enough. It wasnt good enough this year and we knew it wouldnt be." After going 6-2, they lost five of eight, including two games by a combined 67-14 to playoff-bound Atlanta and Baltimore. "The first thing is you dont ever rely on anybody else in this business," Coughlin said. "Youve got to take care of your own business. We certainly had our chances. That will be the No. 1 thing Ill talk to the team about." Manning woke up the offence with touchdown passes of 3 and 38 yards to rookie Rueben Randle, a 15-yarder to David Wilson and a 24-yarder to Victor Cruz just before halftime for a 35-7 lead. He became the first Giant to throw five TD passes in a game since Phil Simms in 1980. Mannings fifth score was a 1-yard pass to fullback Henry Hynoski in the fourth quarter. Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 107 yards and passed the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career, also scored on a 1-yard run. Starting for the first time since a concussion against Dallas in early November, Michael Vick threw a 7-yard touchdown to Jeremy Maclin for Philadelphia. Vick finished 19 of 35 for 197 yards and one interception before being replaced by Trent Edwards. The Eagles had hoped to send Reid out on a positive note, but they played poorly. "We came, we stunk it up and we lost," defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "It was terrible. No heart." Vick, replacing injured rookie Nick Foles, was also reluctant to discuss his future, but he felt for Reid, who gave him a second chance after he got out of prison. "Hes a great man and I love him to death," Vick said. "I wish I couldve done more. A lot of players wish they couldve done more. Coaches cant play the games." The Eagles surprised the Giants on a cold and windy day with an onside kick to open the game. However, turnovers have hurt the Eagles all season, and it happened again when Stevie Brown came up with his eighth interception. Manning needed four plays to score, finding Randle over the middle for the second touchdown of his rookie season. His third came on the following series when New York went 74 yards in five plays. The third touchdown was another pass to a rookie, with Wilson catching a 15-yarder, then doing his usual back flip to celebrate. NOTES: About 400 residents of Newtown, Conn., attended the game. Among them were a few families who lost children in the massacre this month, the Giants said. One was the family of Jack Pinto, the 6-year-old boy buried in a Cruz jersey. ... Bradshaw finished with 1,015 yards rushing. ... Manning fell 52 yards shy of his fourth straight 4,000-yard passing season. ... Browns 48-yard return gave him 307 yards in interception returns this season, extending his Giants single-season record. ... Eagles safety Colt Anderson led the team with 10 tackles. Authentic Peterson Jersey . But it was a play he made with his glove that had the Rogers Centre buzzing. The Toronto Blue Jays left-fielder leaped above the wall to catch what could have been a two-run homer by Casey McGehee in the seventh inning to help blunt a New York Yankees comeback and hold on to a 10-7 win. Adrian Peterson Jersey . After laying a goose-egg his last time out, George scored 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to an 80-76 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. http://www.azulvirtual.org/new.html . PETERSBURG, Fla.NEW ORLEANS -- Hearings in the NFL bounty probe of the Saints have resumed with witness appearances by former Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt and linebacker Jonathan Vilma. Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been appointed to oversee the hearings, which he has scheduled to conclude in New Orleans by Tuesday. There were also several days of witness appearances in Washington, D.C., last week. Tagliabue also has requested strict confidentiality by those involved. Childress and Vitt honoured the request after their appearances. As Childress left the downtown law office on Monday he said he had "nothing to add" after meeting with the former commissioner. Vitt also didnt have much to say, though he spent about five hours at the hearing. The Saints coach had said previously, including under oath in federal court last summer, that his players never took the field intending to injure an opponent. As he left, Vitt said that testimony "was reiterated." Like other witnesses, Vitt said he could not discuss details of the hearing, but added that it was good to see the former commissioner, who hed met before. Vitt said that they had friendly exchanges, even sharing some old stories. Vitt then headed back to the Saints suburban headquarters to catch up on how practice went. Tagliabue has informed attorneys representing all parties that he hopes to rule on the appeals of Vilma, Saints defensive end Will Smith and two other players shortly after the hearings conclude. Smith, suspended four games, and Vilma, suspended for the entire current season, have been allowed back on the field while their appeals are pending. It is unclear if they will be able to play against the New York Giants on Sunday. Two former New Orleans players also were banned: Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita had his suspension reduced to one game, while free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove has not played in the NFL this season but faces a two-game suspension if he signs with a team. The NFL has described Vilma and Smith as ringleaders -- and former Saints defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams as being in charge -- of a performance pool designed to knock targeted opponents out of games from 2009 to 2011. The league has sworn statements from Williams and former Saints assistant coach Mike Cerullo -- who testified last week -- saying Vilma offered $10,000 to anyone who knocked quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2010 NFC championship game. Childress had informed the NFL after that game hed heard from former player Jimmy Kennedy that the Saints had a bounty on Favre. Childress is currently the Cleveland Browns offensive co-ordinator. The NFL also has identified Kennedy as one of iits witnesses, but Kennedy has said the league is lying about his statements.dddddddddddd. He added that the league irreparably damaged his reputation by its "shoddy, careless, shameful so-called investigation." According to the NFL, Kennedy heard about the bounty from Hargrove, who has also denied knowledge of a bounty program. Tagliabue has insisted that the contents of the appeals process remain private, and all of the hearings have been behind closed doors in private law offices. Vilma offered a wave and a thumbs-up sign as walked into the downtown New Orleans law office for Mondays proceedings. Vitt only joked to several reporters that he sees them "in his dreams" and that they should be at Saints practice instead of the law office. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the initial suspensions, which also included a full-season ban for Saints head coach Sean Payton. Lawsuits brought by Vilma and the NFL Players Association to challenge Goodells handling of the case, including his decision in October to appoint Tagliabue as the arbitrator for the appeals, are pending in federal court in New Orleans. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan gave the parties until Monday to answer questions about whether the NFLs collective bargaining agreement prevents a commissioner from handing out discipline for legal contact, and whether the CBAs passages about detrimental conduct are "ambiguous, hence unenforceable." The NFLPA responded Monday afternoon, saying the labour agreement does not give the commissioner authority to punish players for legal hits. The union added that if Tagliabue interprets the agreement otherwise, the provisions pertaining to the commissioners authority in the CBA would be unenforceable. In its response to Berrigans request, the NFL said players were not punished for on-field actions. The league said the players suspensions resulted from meeting or locker room pledges, rewarding injury-causing hits and lying to NFL investigators about the incentive pool. In March, the NFL announced that its investigation showed the Saints put together a bounty pool of up to $50,000 to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opponents. "Knockouts" were worth $1,500 and "cart-offs" $1,000 -- with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs, the league said. According to the league, the pay-for-pain program was administered by Williams, with Paytons knowledge. At the time, Williams apologized for his role, saying: "It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it." Later that month, Payton became the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason -- banned for all of this season without pay -- and Williams was suspended indefinitely. ' ' '