August 2008 Archives

As you can see, there's been a radical update to the website for 2008. Basically I got tired of doing the site by hand in Microsoft Frontpage. While it didn't take much time to do the site, I still was looking for a way to make things go faster, so I decided to go to blogging software. Here we are. The site has a much cleaner look now, too.

I've also allowed for comments to the actual stories, and the fan mail section has been revised. Due to the huge change in format, some of the old material has not been converted over. Specifically:

1) "Fan Mail" previous to January 2007 has been left in the old format page. I looked at it, and with all the emails on there, the work to put it into the new format wouldn't be worth it, to be honest. So I left it where it was. All "fan mail" going forward will be in the new format. Tweaking fans can be fun, but that's more work than I care to put into this.

2) The game pictures for the 1998 through 2005 seasons are still in their old format, too. However, I will be moving them into this new blogging format. Just not now. I did the 2007 and 2006 seasons, and all the stuff since 2007 in the new format. The old stuff takes a little bit of time, and I will get to them eventually. here are some links to the old page. It is linked from the archives page, too.

• 2005 Season
• 2004 Season
• 2003 Season
• 2002 Season (Including the loss to the Texans - Yay!)
• 2001 Season
• 2000 Season
• 1999 Season
• Playoffs 1998 Season
• Older stuff

As I sit here on August 21st playing catch up and getting the new site look ready, I was going through some back emails. I wish I had looked sooner. There was a really bloody awesome email sent to me by a Seargent in the US Military (who I will not ID since that might cause him problems). I wish I saw these earlier, they would have been great in the offseason. Especially the one with Terrell Owens.

When she's not single-handedly destroying the image of a Dallas-based brewery, Jessica Simpson likes to take time out from her busy schedule to snoop through Tony Romo's cell phone which is how she knew his ex Carrie Underwood was lying when she recently said Tony still calls her. You bagged yourself a keeper, Tony. NY Daily News reports:

"Tony and I both laughed at that," Simpson told Nashville radio station 107.5 The River. "We got a chuckle out of it." Underwood's comments are "definitely" not true, Simpson said. So ... how does she know this? "I looked at his call log."

I wanted to say something about Jessica Simpson's flagrant display of cattiness, but frankly, I'm impressed she not only knows how to operate a cell phone but didn't swallow it in the process. It's like, you want to be mad, but at the same time "Wow!"

Thanks "The Superficial"

For no good reason, here's a Jessica Simpson picture. I will give Tony Romo this. She's way more interesting than ANYTHING to do with the Dallas Cowboys of Arlington in North Texas.

DENVER (AP) -- No scribbled messages on his shoulder pads this time. No trash talk, either. Just Brandon Marshall letting his play do all the debating with a silenced Adam Jones.

Marshall's diving 3-yard touchdown catch with a flustered Jones in coverage highlighted the Denver Broncos' 23-13 preseason victory over the Dallas Cowboys on a soggy Saturday night.

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler completed his first 12 passes for 142 yards while leading Denver on two TD drives in a game that followed four joint workouts spiced up by a friendly feud between Jones and Marshall.

Jones started it by saying teammate Terrell Owens was 10 times faster and 10 times better than the Broncos' third-year receiver. Marshall responded by scrawling "21's no Champ" -- as in Champ Bailey -- on the back of his shoulder pads.

The next day, he wrote, "Adam's no Pacman." Jones charged Marshall with changing his routes whenever he saw him in coverage. And so it went, with both stars getting unusually stoked for a mostly meaningless preseason game.

Marshall came out on top, catching six passes for 59 yards -- T.O. had three catches for 20 yards, by the way -- and Jones had six tackles, none of them on Marshall.

On his TD grab, Marshall was the second read behind rookie Eddie Royal, who caught two passes for 67 yards but was covered on this play.

After his catch, Marshall ran right past Jones toward the celebrating fans. But he caught up with his friend after the game.

"I told him, 'Hey, I was still on my routes,' " Marshall said. "He was sitting on everything, so I told Jay, 'When we go against Pacman, I'm running a double move.' "

"He got me," Jones said. "I wanted that one real bad. I want to get back to where I was."

Jones hasn't played in a regular season game since Dec. 31, 2006, while he was with Tennessee. He was suspended last year for a series of off-the-field troubles and arrests and is still awaiting full reinstatement.

Jones did get in the last word on his buddy as he left Invesco Field.

"Brandon's a great player," Jones said. "He's like T.O. He's 'Baby T.O.' but not quite T.O."

Pacman had a 24-yard punt return but spiked the ball in frustration after he was tackled by punter Sam Paulescu, drawing a flag.

"I'm not suppose to get taken down by a kicker," Jones explained.

Brett Kern, who is batting Paulescu for a job, might have had the bigger play, however. He picked up his own blocked punt and ran around the right side for 36 yards and a first down in the third quarter.

Cutler completed 16 of 20 passes for 178 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He led the Broncos (1-1) on a nine-play, 65-yard opening drive that ended with Andre Hall scampering in from a yard out.

Cutler credited his retooled offensive line, which doesn't have a single starter from last year, for his performance.

"Both [young] tackles did a great job. Didn't give them a push up front. Gave me a good pocket," Cutler said. "Any time we have that kind of protection and have Eddie and B-Marsh out there, it's going to be tough to stop us."

For the second straight week, the Dallas offense failed to find a rhythm thanks to penalties. Tony Romo went 6-for-9 for 33 yards and no TDs, and Dallas (0-2) had just 34 yards rushing by halftime and 70 for the game.

"I'm not real happy overall," coach Wade Phillips said.

The Cowboys wanted to get a gauge on backup quarterback Brad Johnson's arm strength, and he delivered. Playing behind the first-string offensive line, Johnson hit Miles Austin with a 37-yard pass at the two-minute warning, then found him in the end zone, where he out-jumped Domonique Foxworth for the 5-yard TD.

Austin, who has seven receptions for 106 yards in the preseason, didn't play in the second half, however, because of a right knee injury.

Matt Prater, who missed a 49-yard attempt at the end of the first half, kicked field goals of 29, 19 and 43 yards in the second half, while Nick Folk kicked a 42-yarder and a 29-yarder for Dallas.

NOTES: Cowboys FB Ronnie Cruz (left shoulder sprain) and LB Justin Rogers (left shoulder) were hurt. ... TEs Daniel Graham (hamstring) and Nate Jackson (shoulder) were among the ailing Broncos.

SAN DIEGO (AP)--If first impressions are any indication, the San Diego Chargers should be pleased with rookie Jacob Hester.

The rookie running back scored on a pair of short runs to help the Chargers to a 31-17 preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

Hester, the club's third-round draft pick from LSU, is competing with Darren Sproles to replace Michael Turner as back up to two-time defending NFL rushing champion LaDainian Tomlinson. He made a strong case as he carried the ball 13 times for 49 yards and scored on runs of 1 and 2 yards.

"It felt good," Hester said. "The first (touchdown) felt good because the (first team) was in there against their (first-team).

Hester had a slow start when he caught a pass in the flat on the Chargers' third play from scrimmage and was dropped for a 1-yard loss. His first two carries netted three yards before he went up the middle for his first touchdown.

"It was crazy. My first block out there was Zach Thomas," Hester said. "Once you do that, nothing really worries you anymore. Once you get out there, it's football."

Sproles also scored on a 5-yard run, one of the Chargers' four rushing touchdowns, including three in the first half. Sproles had 5 yards on 7 carries.

Tomlinson, who has a slight strained groin, rarely plays in the preseason and did not suit up. Tomlinson was not scheduled to play before he was hurt late in the week. In his career, Tomlinson has just 14 preseason carries.

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers played three series and directed the Chargers to a pair of touchdowns. Rivers completed five of six passes for 54 yards and left early in the second quarter with a 14-7 lead.

"We were efficient," Rivers said. "We didn't turn it over or have any penalties in the first half. That's a good sign that you're not making any silly mistakes in the first preseason game."

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo looked sharp in his only series as he lead Dallas to the game's first touchdown on an 8-play, 54-yard drive. Romo completed all three passes for 33 yards. His 16-yard pass to Patrick Crayton to the 3-yard line set up Deon Anderson's 2-yard scoring run.

"I've been definitely able to see (progress) at training camp and we were able to carry it over from practice to the game," Romo said.

The game was the Dallas debut of cornerback Adam Jones, signed as a free agent in the offseason. Although he did not start, Jones saw considerable action into the second half of the game.

Jones, who sat out last season after being suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, was called for a pass interference call in the third quarter that moved the ball to the Cowboys' 2-yard line, setting up Hester's 2-yard run.

"It's preseason, man," Jones said. "Hopefully, by the last preseason game, I'll be ready and focused to go. My timing is messed up right now. But I'll be alright, man."

The game also was the first for Marion Barber as Dallas' starting running back. Barber, a Pro Bowl selection last season, gained 24 yards on four carries while also playing one series.

"We didn't play our first group very long, offensively and defensively," Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "That was on purpose. One they looked sharp when they were in there. Two, we needed to look at the rest of the guys."

Felix Jones, the Cowboys' first-round draft choice out of Arkansas, carried 6 times for 32 yards.

San Diego also scored on a 1-yard run by Mike Tolbert and on Nate Kaeding's 53-yard field goal to lead 24-10 at halftime.

Notes

The Chargers played without six injured starters, including Pro Bowl TE Antonio Gates. Gates is still recovering from offseason toe surgery. .. San Diego scored 14 points off Dallas turnovers. ... Tennis star Rod Laver was in attendance.