Pft 6/29

JonCJG

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POSTED 10:20 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:30 a.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

SULLIVAN SECURES HIS ALL-TURD TROPHY

Although Patriots defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan isn't the guy who recently asked for a trophy to commemorate his addition to the PFT 2006 All-Turd Team, we're now in the market for a bronzed pile of poo in light of Sullivan's recent arrest on charges of marijuana possession, running two stop signs, not wearing a seat belt (does the fact that it doesn't fit him constitute a defense?), and playing his music too loud.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Sullivan was busted on those charges Sunday morning in Griffin, Georgia.

Per the report, an officer saw Sullivan drive through two stop signs, without stopping. After pulling him over, the officer asked Sullivan if he had any weapons. Sullivan said "yes," and he gave a handgun to the officer. The officer then asked whether there was anything illegal in the car. Sullivan said "no" -- and then he gave the cop permission to search the car.

To borrow a line from one of the best movies we've seen in years, "Tractors is so dumb."

We say that because, while searching the car with Sullivan's permission, the officer found a bag of marijuana.

Earlier this month, the Patriots acquired Sullivan, the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft, from the Saints for receiver Bethel Johnson, a second-round selection that same year. Though Johnson was a bust and it made sense for the Pats to move him, the team now faces the relatively unusual problem of having on the roster a bona fide turd.

Our guess is that he won't be on the roster for very long.

In adding Sullivan to our All-Turd Team earlier this week, we wrote: "Ate his way out of New Orleans. Will surely find a way to squander his second chance in New England."

So thanks, Johnathan, for making us look like we know what we're doing. It might be your biggest accomplishment since joining the NFL, which based on your overall body of work doesn't mean much.



NINERS TO ADD ROUEN

A league source tells us that the 49ers have agreed to terms with veteran punter Tom Rouen, who recently was released by the Seahawks.

Per the source, the Niners will announce the acquisition later today.
Rouen has spent 13 seasons in the NFL, with the Broncos, Steelers, and Seahawks. He punted for two Super Bowl championship teams in Denver. He averaged 41.6 yards per punt in 2005.

The other punters on the team's roster are Andy Lee, who has held the job for the past two seasons, and rookie Tom Malone, who didn't incur much wear and tear while serving as the punter for the USC Trojans.



POSTED 8:57 a.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

BUSH BLEW OFF TEXANS

As we continue to catch up on some of the stories that have gone generally quiet over the past few weeks, a league source tells us that the decision of the Texans not to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft was fueled by the fact that, when the team first tried to contact Bush for an explanation regarding rumors that his family had received free rent from a San Diego firm that wanted to handle his marketing rights and, via NFLPA-certified agent David Caravantes, his football contract, Bush ignored the Texans for three days.

Previously, we reported that the Texans ultimately opted to turn tail on the Trojan tailback because, when he finally talked to them about the situation, they concluded that he was not being truthful.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear rumblings in league circles that cause us to believe that, if the NCAA, the Pac-10, and/or the "real" media continue to dig, they'll find that the situation involving Bush is far more complex than what already has been reported.

Said one source: "[It] makes you wonder what all the West Coast scouts, General Managers and so was doing when scouting Bush. They make such a fuss on character, but really have no clue when it comes down to it at times. This was as clear as day."

So keep digging, "real" media. You've done a nice job so far -- don't let the trail go cold.



CORNWELL BROUGHT IN THE FEDS

In another twist regarding the ongoing Reggie Bush saga, we're told that the FBI has gotten involved in the matter at the behest of Bush family lawyer David Cornwell. Apparently, one of Cornwell's cronies is a former FBI agent, and he got with some of his old friends on the federal payroll after the situation with New Era Sports & Entertainment started to turn uglier than the love child of Ben Roethlisberger and A.J. Hawk.

It appears, however, that the FBI situation is going nowhere, at least for now. Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on June 28 that, as of June 27, New Era had not been contacted by the FBI.

Moreover, it's our understanding that Cornwell specifically leaked the FBI story, and it's starting to look like Cornwell was merely trying to scare off the New Era folks.

Though there's been no lawsuit filed yet for $300,000 in expenses incurred by New Era in connection with the agency's alleged belief that Bush was going to hire it, New Era's lawyer told Trotter that suit will be filed in late July.

If late July comes and goes and no suit is filed, it might be time to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, Cornwell's efforts to defuse the problem (which came way too late for his client's own good) were effective.



HEROCK DRAFTED, TRADED FAVRE

In the wake of our criticisms of recent statements made by former NFL exec Ken Herock regarding his former "Pro Prep" client Santurdio, we've been reminded by several readers of one of the more memorable (or, as the case may be, forgettable) chapters in Herock's footbal career was that he drafted, and then later traded, a certain quarterback known in this neighborhood as Lord Favre.

As legend has it, Herock blames then-Falcons coach Jerry Glanville for the decision to trade Favre, and Glanville blames Herock. In an excellent piece penned by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2005, the clear impression created is that Glanville forced Herock's hand by refusing to use Favre.

But even Herock -- who had once seen his hometown Steelers give up on Johnny Unitas -- seems to recognize that it was a mistake: "Maybe I lost sight of the thing," Herock told Silverstein. "Everyone was telling me how bad he was. That's all I kept hearing. And there was a possibility we could recover a first for a guy we drafted with a second. There was nothing there that said, 'Ken, you're right and they're wrong.' Everything was working against me."

The story of how Favre came to be a Packer is intriguing, if you can get past the perfunctory Ron Wolf "I am the greatest personnel man in sports history" sound bites. Wolf had Favre (as Wold claims) rated as the top player in the 1991 draft. (Actually, we tend to believe Wolf's contention in this regard, given that the players taken in round one of the 1991 draft included Hall-of-Shamers like Bruce Pickens (who went third overall to Herock's Falcons), Mike Croel, Charles McRae, Antone Davis, Mike Pritchard (taken by Herock's Falcons at No. 13), Leonard Russell, Huey Richardson, Dan McGwire, Bobby Wilson, Vinnie Clark, Randal Hill, and Todd Marinovich.)

But Wolf's Jets didn't have a first-round pick in 1991, and Herock's Falcons plucked Lord Favre one spot in front of Wolf's Jets, with the sixth pick in round two.

When Wolf was willing to give up a first-round pick a year later for a guy on which his Jets didn't have a chance to pass in 1991, Herock should have sensed that something was up. Then again, the Falcons were riding a wave of momentum in early 1992, driven by a rare playoff appearance in 1991 and the presence on the bandwagon of M.C. Hammer. (I mean, with a guy like Hammer on board, this franchise was destined for greatness, right?)

Besides, King Doofis was coaching the team at the time, and he apparently wasn't going to use Favre unless and until every other guy on the depth chart was eating fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches with Elvis in that great Greasy Spoon in the Sky.

So we're not going to smack Herock too hard for trading Lord Favre. What Herock said recently about a guy who had paid for Herock's service was a more clear reflection of stupidity -- so we'll just rely upon that in support of our conclusion that he's a numbskull.
 
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