Criticizing the Sopranos series finale is like a Patriots fan questioning a Bill Belichick decision. I can't do it. It's not my place to doubt a near-genius at the top of his craft. The Sopranos was the greatest filmed entertainment I've ever seen, an 86-hour dissection of family, life in the 2000's, everything. The fact that it ended, like many of their episodes, on an existentialist bent, doesn't surprise me. I think the stunning two episodes leading up to the finale raised expectations too much for a bloody finale. David Chase usually fired his big guns before the last shows, when you least expected it, and that was the case in the amazing last season. I'm thankful we were able to watch it so long.

As I wonder if A.J. ever gets a chance to be the next great D movie producer, here were the links I found on a quiet Football Monday morning ...

Miami had their minicamp this weekend. Cam Cameron is rightly talking about a youth movement. That means two rookie starters on the offensive line. It also means Derek Hagan, suddenly Cameron's pet project, is going to get playing time. Hagan has a lot of potential. He makes the spectacular grab, but drops the easy one. I could see Miami getting rid of Marty Booker before the season and handing Hagan the starting job if he progresses.

Booker in trouble?

Ted Ginn is another candidate for the starting job. After all the concerns about his foot, he was reportedly flying by defenders at minicamp. Cameron compared him to Desmond Howard, which I'm not sure is a good thing. For fantasy leaguers, I wouldn't expect much out of Ginn as a rookie.

Continue reading "What do you want, a boutonniere?" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (53)

In this episode, his family is worried about him. He's been wilding out for too long, and won't listen.

Of course, Pacman's publicist says it's all not true. Considering all the events in question were in a dark, crowded club, it may be tough to prove her wrong in court. If it ever makes it that far.

Continue reading "Pacman Daily" »

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Our boy Pac stayed out of the news for, well, it wasn't quite 24 hours. But it was close. A news station in Tennessee has obtained wiretapped phone conversations between an associate of Jones (a convicted drug dealer Darryl Moore that was being investigated) speaking about Jones' trouble in 2006.

I now realize this is why I have a blog. To post questionable wiretapped phone conversations that talks about Pacman's smoking and gambling habits.

"You know, I was talkin' to him the other day about smokin', and he was like ‘man, if I didn't smoke I couldn't take all the stress that I'm dealing with right now," Moore said.

I know the conversations are from last year, but the Titans can only take so many days of Jones as front-page news. Coach Jeff Fisher even has a cameo.

"Fisher's being as patient as a m*****f***** as he can. Fisher gotta win. Fisher trying to win...He ain't putting up with that s***," Moore said.

It's probably a bad sign for Pacman when convicted felons are worried about him going overboard.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 06:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More than 24 hours after the latest and most inflammatory news about Pacman broke, all the major media have jumped on board, including my employers. We even have embedded video!

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Does anyone else find the deafening silence from the big sports outlets on the Pacman Jones case bizarre?

Is it because of legal issues? Does the NFL help keep it quiet because it crosses the line of making a well-known athlete look depraved for lack of a better word? Is it because police haven't officially accused Jones of anything yet? That hasn't stopped the AP from reporting about it, but it has stopped the biggest sites from even carrying a stunning article from Wednesday including strippers, assault, a shooting, and one of the NFL's best young players.

Thursday's development's come courtesy of a search warrant obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Jones reportedly came to the club with $81,000 in a trash bag, which ultimately caused the melee. The bag was later stolen by a promoter. You can't make this stuff up.

As we learn more about the case, it's becoming clear that this story is only just starting for Jones. The Titans and the NFL are going to need to address the issue sooner rather than later.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The latest AP article on the Pacman Jones situation is a doozy. The actions of the night are straight out of a Sopranos episode. If the co-owner of the night club in question is even half right about Jones' involvement, his future with the Titans could be in bigger trouble than first believed.

The most ridiculous part of the story is that the whole fracas started because Jones or a rap artist to be named later threw a bunch of dollar bills in the air and people started fighting for it. The co-owner Robert Susner claims Jones, "Tossed hundreds of $1 bills on the stripper stage ... when a dancer started grabbing the money without Jones' permission, he got angry, grabbed her, and slammed her head against the stage."

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Here's one of the many reasons I'm lucky to alive: I get to write about Pacman Jones for the next ten years or so, assuming he stays alive.

I don't plan to copy what's on our news page much in this space (this is a first), but Pacman's latest hijinx is worth repeating. Here's the blurb I wrote for Rotoworld.

NFL Network's Adam Shefter reports that witnesses in Las Vegas have claimed that Pacman Jones was biting the ankle of the bouncer who wound up getting shot during a melee. That's not all. Jones was recovering from a previously unreported shoulder surgery and Shefter reports that the bouncer "popped" Jones' shoulder while holding him in an arm lock. Jones reportedly left in a great deal of pain.

Jeff Fisher called Jones' one game suspension the defining moment of his career last season. Remember, the Titans tried to suspend Jones four games before the NFLPA stepped in. I think Fisher was trying to say that Jones' response to this "last chance" punishment would define him. Jones responded with the best stretch of play in his career, but now he's in hot water again.

If it was any other player, Tennessee could act tough and release him. But Jones is already one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, if not one of the best players. Behind Vince Young, he's the most valuable player on the Tennessee roster. This latest trouble is singularly dumb, because he jeopardized his life (three people were shot at the nightclub) and more specifically his recently repaired shoulder.

The Titans have painted themselves into corner and will have to get tough with Jones, suspending him again if the league doesn't.

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)