The chief of police in Detroit is looking to shut down the Booty Lounge, a bus that functions as a strip club outside Ford Field during Lions home games.
Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. said he doesn’t believe the Booty Lounge has the legal right to operate outside Lions games.
“Ostensibly, it’s an illegal establishment,” Godbee told the Detroit News. “The same thing that would regulate that type of activity in a strip club would be applicable to that vehicle. We’re going to police it very aggressively through our investigation.I’m appalled at this kind of conduct because we have families and children around. We need to make sure these events are fan-friendly for children and their families.”
The Booty Lounge hasn’t commented publicly since media reports on its operations — not to mention a picture of two uniformed police officers posing with a scantily clad woman outside the Booty Lounge — led to a controversy in Detroit. But Detroit City Councilman Gary Brown said he thinks the Booty Lounge will be out of business before the next Lions home game, which is next Monday night against the Bears.
“Our chief could have that problem solved by the next Lions home game. I’m confident that it will,” Brown said. “(Tailgating) needs to be clean, family fun and not an after-hours joint on wheels.”
At a time when the Dolphins are realizing that no amount of willpower can make Reggie Bush anything other than, well, Reggie Bush, the team landed on waivers a guy who has, when given the chance, played better than Reggie Bush ever has.
The Dolphins have been awarded former Texans running back Steve Slaton on waivers, the team has announced. To create a roster spot for Slaton, the Dolphins waived defensive end Ryan Baker.
Bush has gained 69 yards on 27 carries in three games, for a career-low average of 2.6 yards per carry. On Sunday at Cleveland, Bush gained 13 yards on 10 attempts. He also has 11 catches for 71 yards.
As a rookie in 2008 with the Texans (who passed on Bush in 2006), Slaton rushed for 1,282 yards. He added another 377 on 50 receptions, giving him more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage.
Seven fumbles in 2009 got him benched. He thereafter was used sparingly until he was cut on Tuesday.
Though it would be shocking for the Dolphins to dump Bush, don’t be surprised if they give Slaton an opportunity to chew into Reggie’s touches.
With their 0-3 record, the Dolphins were fairly high on the pecking order for waivers claims. It’s unknown whether any other teams attempted to secure Slaton’s contract.
The injury bug has taken another big bite out of Bob Sanders.
Sanders’ season is over after the Chargers placed him on injured reserve Wednesday, three days after he missed their Week Three win with a knee injury. The early end to Sanders’ season shouldn’t come as much surprise to anyone who has followed Sanders’ career. Since winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2007 season, Sanders has played in just 11 games for the Colts and Chargers as one injury after another has kept him from being on the field reliably. The Chargers were hoping he’d be able to stay healthy enough to help their secondary after he was released by the Colts, but it just wasn’t in the cards for a player who was as good as they get when he was able to be in uniform.
“All we wished for Bob was good health and hoped to turn him loose to do his thing, which was being one great, physical, highly-competitive player,” General Manager A.J. Smith said in a statement. “It didn’t work out for him or us, and we wish him the very best. He was with us a very short time, but made a positive impact with our team in many ways, and I’ll always appreciate that.”
When this season comes to an end, Sanders will have played 50 out of a possible 128 regular season games since being drafted out of Iowa. The words what might have been come to mind.
The Chargers will fill his roster spot with another player trying to recapture their former glory. They signed defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who was a Pro Bowler with the Bears. His play slipped significantly over the last two years and he lost his starting job in 2010. Harris was cut by the Colts in training camp and could play relatively quickly for a Chargers team that has been ravaged by injuries on their defensive front.
Carson Palmer made headlines this offseason for threatening to retire if he was not traded by the Cincinnati Bengals. Bengals' owner Mike Brown didn't seem to be too affected by the situation, as Palmer hasn't gone anywhere. There have been rumors circulating recently that the Miami Dolphins are interested in trading for Palmer. However, ESPN's Chris Mortensen tweeted earlier today that he has not found any proof of those talks. Yet, you can't help but wonder what team would be a good fit for the former first overall pick. There are several NFL franchises desperate for a solid quarterback. Where could Palmer potentially end up?
Seattle: The Seahawks have struggled offensively in 2011, but with Tarvaris Jackson as their starting quarterback, who really expected this team to succeed? Seattle ranks 30th in the league in passing, and that's even after playing two mediocre defenses (San Francisco and Arizona). Pete Carroll coached Palmer when they were both at USC, so there's a connection already waiting to be restored. The Seahawks defense ranks 10th in total yards allowed per game this year. A viable quarterback could make them a dangerous team, especially playing in the weak NFC West.
San Francisco: Another NFC West team, did I mention it's a weak division? The 49ers are 2-1, but they've beaten the Seahawks and the Bengals, and one of those games was won solely by the return game of Ted Ginn Jr. So forgive me if I'm not thrilled by their performance so far, they still rank 28th in passing and they've somehow regressed even more in the run game. Jim Harbaugh brings promise for future of San Fran, but he needs a quarterback. They have some talented young pieces, and if Michael Crabtree can stay healthy he would be a great target for Palmer.
Jacksonville: This one seems to be the most unlikely of the three, but they need help at QB the most. Ranking dead last in passing won't get you far. Jacksonville has Blaine Gabbert, who they expect to be the future of the franchise, but there's no telling how long it will take for him to thrive in this league. Jacksonville's defense ranks fourth in the league so far. Maybe some stability at QB would transform this team into a contender.
If Mike Brown ever decides to just give Carson what he wants, he probably still won't get a lot in return. But what does he have to lose? It's not like he's gaining anything from Palmer boycotting his franchise. Donovan McNabb was traded to Minnesota this past offseason for a sixth round pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth round pick in 2013. Palmer is probably worth more than that, he's a few years younger than McNabb, but I think the best case scenario for the Bengals would be fourth rounder. Hopefully they decide to pull the trigger before Palmer decides retirement doesn't sound too bad.
Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) will not practice on Wednesday.
Eagles beat writers and observers consider Maclin doubtful to play against the 49ers Sunday. He did participate in the walkthrough this morning, but being up to speed with the game plan means little if Maclin's hamstring won't allow him to run at 100 percent. Owners need to get him on benches.
Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth missed the entire 2010 season after tearing his ACL in training camp. Foxworth returned for two games this year, but he always said his knee was bothering him, and now that knee will force him to miss the rest of this year.
The Ravens announced today that they have placed Foxworth on injured reserve.
Foxworth played in the first two games of this season but was inactive for the game against the Rams on Sunday. There’s no word on whether he recently experienced a setback, or if it’s just a matter of the knee never completely healing after last year’s injury. In any event, it’s a major disappointment for Foxworth to only play in two games over two years after starting all 16 games in 2009, his first year with the Ravens.
The Ravens filled their open roster spot by signing linebacker Prescott Burgess to their 53-man roster. Burgess was a sixth-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2007 who led the team in special teams tackles the last two years.
Give the Chargers credit this year for finding a way to win games when they aren’t at their best.
They barely beat the Vikings and Chiefs at home, winning largely due to the running game and defense. Consider it a good sign that they are surviving despite Philip Rivers struggling out of the gates.
Yes, Rivers is struggling so far by his standards. (Sounds weird to say.)
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes that Rivers has more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (4) for only the second time in his career. He’s throwing for a lot of yards, but his still-excellent 7.8 yards-per-attempt average is down almost a full yard from last year. He led the league in the category the last three years.
“I think good teams find a way to win games what would be termed from the outside [as] ‘ugly.’ So, shoot, yeah, I’d love to have a few throws back, and I need to play a little better. . . . If I’d have played better, we’d still be 2-1. We’re still 2-1. This game’s over,” Rivers told Acee after Sunday’s win.
The 49ers still don’t know whether they will have the financing to build a new stadium near their practice facility in Santa Clara but were optimistic enough to unveil plans for one Tuesday.
If nothing else, the 49ers dream large.
Everything about the stadium, from the 165 luxury suites to a planned five-story photo of “The Catch,” which sent the 49ers to their first Super Bowl in 1981, has been designed to make it a fan-friendly entertainment center.
The 49ers opened a preview center, at a cost of $2.5 million, last November to showcase the new stadium for prospective suite, club seat and season ticket holders.
“It was a work in progress until today,” 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe said.
In June 2010, Santa Clara voters passed a plan by the 49ers to build the 68,500-seat stadium. Under the agreement with the team, the city and area hotels would contribute $114 million to the $937 million project next to Great America theme park.
Jed York, president and CEO of the 49ers, said the team is still focused “100 percent” on the Santa Clara project. He is hoping to start construction in January 2013 and open the stadium for the 2015 season, although there’s still a shortfall in cash.
The 49ers did move to clear one obstacle.
The York family is partnering with local real estate firm JMA Ventures to buy the Santa Clara theme park that had opposed the 49ers’ new stadium plans.
Adrian Peterson said he "really can't explain" why he doesn't have more carries this season.
The Vikings took a 20-0 halftime lead in Week 3 and then gave Peterson five carries in the entire second half. Considering the national backlash, we don't expect Minnesota to make that mistake again. "I have to remind myself of this: Even if Adrian gets stopped for negative gain or two yards because they've got so many people at the line of scrimmage, he's such a great player that even against eight-man fronts he can still make something happen," coach Leslie Frazier said. "You can't ever forget that."
Said Jets QBMark Sanchez of his broken nose, “It didn’t feel good, that’s for sure. But obviously you’re in the middle of the game, so it didn’t really bother me too much. I didn’t really think about it too much until after the game, but it feels a lot better now, and I’ll just worry about it at the end of the season. It’s no big deal.”
Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker has a problem with hearing Jerry Jones talking about Tony Romo’s pain tolerance. Tucker thinks focusing on Tony Romo’s pain tolerance sends a bad message.
Says Cardinals rookie CB Patrick Peterson, “I feel like I’m getting better soconfidence isn’t even an issue. I’m getting comfortable with my teammates, getting comfortable with the scheme we’re running, and confidence is never a problem.”
The Bucs placed safety Cody Grimm on injured reserve Tuesday, according to Rick Stroud of the St. Petersburg Times.
Grimm wasn’t exactly a difference maker, but he started nine games last year and all three games this season. Grimm’s 2010 season ended with a broken ankle.
Safety has been a trouble spot for Tampa for a while.
Fourth-year veteran Corey Lynch and first-year player Larry Asante are candidates to replace Grimm. Lynch is known more for his coverage skills.
There has been no immediate ruling or word on either Terrelle Pryor or Cedric Benson's appeals. Pryor could wind up finishing his suspension before they even rule on the appeal. While Benson will not face suspension until the appear is ruled on, he looks like he will still face a 3 game suspension when all is said and done.
What I don't understand is this comment from the NFL Office: “A player is not suspended until he has had an opportunity to file an appeal and for that appeal to be heard and adjudicated,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said this morning via email.
So I am not sure why that only applied to Benson and not Pryor.
It’s believed that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is in a playoffs-or-bust year.
That may be true, but he actually has more years left on his contract (two) than all of his assistant coaches and G.M. Gene Smith, according to Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com. Smith is in the final year of his contrct.
This is a bit of a surprise. We’ve criticized some of Smith’s free agent signings this year, but he’s generally done a good job drafting the last three years and has successfully improved Jacksonville’s talent base. It seems like he has a plan.
Let’s say Del Rio does get fired this year. Owner Wayne Weaver would have the option to completely clean house, possibly with a coach that brings personnel powers or a personnel guy with him.
It’s Weaver’s right to leave his options open. It makes sense at this stage, even if it makes life uncomfortable for Smith.
Starting totally from scratch doesn’t make a lot of sense to us, but Smith’s lack of a contract keeps that option in play for the organization.
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