Update on Raheem Brock's arrest last week

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 21, 2011, 12:28 PM EDT

Getty Images

Raheem Brock was arrested last week for allegedly skipping out on a restaurant check, and at first he refused to talk about what happened.

But now Brock is talking — and he says he’s shocked that the restaurant called the police and shocked that the police arrested him. According to Brock, he was more than happy to pay his bill, but the restaurant kicked him out before he could.

Brock told TMZ that he, his cousin and a female friend went to the restaurant and placed an order, but when the friend said she would rather run across the street to get a cheesesteak at another place, they briefly left while Brock’s cousin waited at the restaurant. When they came back and were told they couldn’t bring the cheesesteak in, they decided to cancel their food order and leave.

According to Brock, he didn’t know the restaurant objected to him leaving until the police stopped him, and as soon as the police did stop him he offered to pay the bill, even though he hadn’t eaten any food. That differs from previous reports that Brock refused to pay his bar bill. Brock says he talked to the manager of the restaurant and found him to be unreasonable.

“While I was in ‘cuffs, I explained to the manager that I own restaurants . . . and if there’s a policy about paying for food that hasn’t come out . . . then it should have been explained to us before we left.”

We’re only getting Brock’s side of the story here, but his side of the story sounds pretty reasonable. The restaurant has declined to give its side of the story, in which Brock may not sound so reasonable.

------------------------------------------------------------

It is interesting that the restaurant owner is not commenting yet.  However more to come on this story.

Leaked: Sources reveal proposed CBA deal

Proposed CBA Details

Details of a proposed collective bargaining agreement being pitched to NFL owners Tuesday, according to sources:

• Players get 48 percent of "all revenue," without extra $1-billion-plus off top that previously had been requested by owners.

• Players' share will never dip below 46.5 percent, under new formula being negotiated.

• Teams required to spend minimum 90-93 percent of the salary cap.

• Rookie wage scale part of deal but still being "tweaked."

• 18-game regular season designated only as negotiable item and at no point is mandated in deal.

• New 16-game Thursday night TV package beginning in 2012.

• Owners still will get some expense credits that will allow funding for new stadiums.

• Retirees to benefit from improved health care, pension benefits as revenue projected to double to $18 million by 2016.

-- ESPN's Chris Mortensen

For more details see the full write up on ESPN here.

Dhani Jones thinks awful highly of himself

Dhani Jones Top 10 Linebackers

I think this video is worth watching, more for humor than anything else.  Mr. Jones apparently has quite a high opinion of his abilities on the football field.

To think that Brian Urlacher, Lamar Woodley, Johnathan Vilma are all absent from the list seems strange.  Not to mention that I don't even think that Dhani Jones is even considered the top linebacker on his own team.

And for the record, even febreeze doesn't remove the stink from this list.  Enjoy.

NFL should lift blackouts when football resumes

By Paul Kuharsky ESPN

When this lockout thing is over, when the owners stop trying to sell their woes to the player, when the players stop bemoaning their treatment, both sides will be in position to court the same fans.

They should brainstorm up a long list of gestures that would help the cause, and the Florida Times-Union's Gene Frenette hit on one of them recently that would be strictly from the management side.

The league is already considering dropping the ticket-sales requirements for preventing home market blackouts by 15 percent for a time.

Says Frenette: 

The NFL should go one step further: lift the blackout rule for at least the first four regular-season games as a gesture to fans, many of whom are apathetic due to labor issues. The toughest games to sell will be early on because fans are livid at players and owners fighting over billions of dollars. So why not send a message to fans they'll be assured of having all home games televised for a little while?

The NFL says it cares about the fans. In these unusually tough times, temporarily rescinding the blackout rule would be a good way to show it.

Of course this would require a largely greedy bunch to agree to something that would take away their biggest leverage for selling tickets. And it would impact less popular, less successful teams more than the big guns and loaded squads.

Still, it’s a good idea. I don’t believe the league is going ultimately to lose a lot of fans over the labor impasse. When the games are back, a huge percentage of addicted America will return to the venues and turn to the right channels.

If that channel, however, doesn’t have their home team’s game, the league will only be giving those fans who want to come back additional cause to be bitter.

That wouldn’t be a smart at a time the NFL should be dreaming up ways to make them feel important and loved

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think this is the least they could do.  Especially in a still slow economy.  Most people that don't go to the games, are because they can't afford to.  It's not like these fans are strong arming the owners via boycotting the games. 

Owners and Players pack overnight bags for talks in Chicago

Posted by Mike Florio on June 21, 2011, 7:11 AM EDT

Getty Images

The league’s owners have gathered in Chicago for meetings aimed at building a consensus as to the current negotiations for a new labor deal.  

Apparently, that bag-packing directive applied to the front end of the session as well.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the meetings actually began on Monday, with at least one and possibly more team officials summoned to participate.

The information blackout largely has been effective.  With that tight lid on details, here’s what we’re currently hearing.

The thinking is that Commissioner Roger Goodell will be trying to persuade the owners to do a win-win deal at a time when there’s a belief by many owners that the players will take the last, best offer made during the current phase of talks.  The concern, we’re told, is that one (or more) of the owners will argue that, if the players are prepared to take the best offer the owners make now, an even better deal for the league can be finagled by forcing the players to miss a few game checks.

As the source explained it, more than a few owners believe the league has a hammer — and that the league should use it.

Goodell is expected to urge those owners to consider the best interests of the game, since it will end the labor unrest without doing any significant damage to the league.  Whether he can pull it off will go a long way toward ending the lockout and bringing back football.

Here’s hoping that he does.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Originally a one-day meeting scheduled for Tuesday, the owners had been told to pack a bag in the event that the meetings extend into Wednesday."

This is what should have happened months ago.  They would not get serious about the negotiations until these parties started to feel backed into a corner.  I just wonder in the end of it all, was it worth the damage to the NFL's reputation with the fans.  A lot of people really have a bad taste in their mouth with this league.  But when September rolls around and (if) games are being played, will fans still care?  I guess we will have to wait and see.  

Roddy White, "Falcons will outscore everyone"

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 21, 2011, 7:31 AM EDT

Getty Images

Falcons receiver Roddy White is feeling confident about how the Falcons will look in 2011.

In fact, White said on NFL Network that the Falcons compare favorably to both the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and to the St. Louis Rams of 10 years ago.

“We’re going to out-score everybody,” White said. “Green Bay’s got, what, four or five guys out there who can make plays? We’re going to be Green Bay South.”

Asked how he feels about being teamed with rookie Julio Jones, White compared the Falcons to one of the best offenses in recent NFL history.

“It’s going to be special,” White said. “It’s going to remind you of the Greatest Show on Turf. We’ve got a lot of explosive players and I see more explosive plays coming out of our offense. . . . He’s going to be a great player in this league.”

----------------------------------------------------------------

I am a firm believer that if you don't believe you are going to win, you shouldn't even be on the field.  I love the confidence that White has.   With that in mind, I do think comparing themselves to the Greatest Show on Turf is more than a bit premature.  I would like to see a few games out of this team this year before we start comparing them to one of the best offenses to ever play in the NFL.

They could be great, but lets at least get on the field first.