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| A Word from The Writer: The Monday Analysis - 17 May 2004
The Monday
Analysis Returns Yes, we're back.
Let's get to the news of the NFL.
Cardinals Safety Pat Tillman Killed in Afghanistan
Safety Pat Tillman was effected by the attacks on 9/11 so much that in
May of 2002 he was ready to
Tillman was killed in action on Thursday, April 22, 2004. He was 27 years
old.
Tillman's platoon was in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border when they
became involved in a firefight.
"He is a hero," Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill said.
"He was a brave man. There are very few people who have the courage
to do what he did, the courage to walk away from a professional sports
career and make the ultimate sacrifice."
"Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the
NFL," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "He was an achiever
and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community, and
his country ahead of his personal interests."
"We lost a unique individual that touched the lives of many with
his love for life, his toughness, his intellect," former teammate
QB Jake Plummer said in a statement released by the Broncos. "Pat
Tillman lived life to the fullest and will be remembered forever in my
heart and mind."
Tillman never gave an interview or sought praise for his decision to join
the Army. Many around the league said that when he got out of the Army
at age 28 that he'd still be in the prime of his career to return to football,
and after three years in the Army, be in the best shape of his life.
Tillman was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his efforts to save
his platoon mates during this fire fight, and promoted to corporal.
The Monday Analysis sends its condolences to the Tillman family, the Arizona
Cardinals, the US Army Rangers, and the Arizona State Sun Devils. For
a special Monday Analysis banner honoring Tillman, please click here for
the graphic to post on your own site.
Pats Trade Second Rounder for RB Dillon
Man, the Patriots just could not wait, now could they? The Monday before
the Draft, they traded one of their two second round picks for running
back Corey Dillon, now formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals. Dillon is one
of those hot players who played for a crap team, and now he has his chance
to place for a winner. Dillon, 29, ends his rough seven-year stay in Ohio.
"Corey joins Kevin Faulk and our other very good backs to deepen
an already competitive running back position," Patriots coach Bill
Belichick said.
Dillon holds all the rushing records in Cincinnati, but has never been
on a winning team.
Welcome to New England, Corey. We win Championships here.
NFL Releases 2004 Schedule
The Patriots have nine games after 4 PM, four during primetime Monday
and Sunday nights. Check it out for yourself!
2004 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Date
Time
Opponent
TV Broadcast
Home/Away
Friday, August 13
8 PM ET
WCVB 5
H Saturday, August 21
7 PM ET
at
Bengals
WCVB
A Saturday, August 28 8 PM ET
at
Panthers
WCVB 5
A
Wednesday, September 1
8 PM ET
WCVB 5
H
2004
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE Week Date Time Opponent TV Broadcast Home/Away 1 Thu. Sep. 9 9:00 p.m. ET
ABC H 2 Sun. Sep. 19 4:15 p.m. ET at Cardinals CBS A 3 BYE
WEEK 4 Sun. Oct. 3 1:00 p.m. ET at Bills CBS A 5 Sun. Oct. 10 1:00 p.m. ET CBS H 6 Sun. Oct. 17 1:00 p.m. ET FOX H 7 Sun. Oct. 24 4:05 p.m. ET CBS H 8 Sun. Oct. 31 1:00 p.m. ET at Steelers CBS A 9 Sun. Nov. 7 4:15 p.m. ET at Rams CBS A 10 Sun. Nov. 14 8:30 p.m. ET ESPN H 11 Mon. Nov. 22 9:00 p.m. ET at Chiefs ABC A 12 Sun. Nov. 28 1:00 p.m. ET CBS H 13 Sun. Dec. 5 1:00 p.m. ET at Browns CBS A 14 Sun. Dec. 12 1:00 p.m. ET CBS H 15 Mon. Dec. 20 9:00 p.m. ET at Dolphins ABC A 16 Sun. Dec. 26 4:05 p.m. ET at Jets CBS A 17 Sun. Jan. 2 1:00 p.m. ET FOX H BREAKING NEWS - Pats Tix Sale Patriots Tickets got on sale this Saturday, 22 May 2004 at 10 AM at Ticketmaster. Call 1-617-931-2222 or 1-508-931-2222 or
http://www.ticketmaster.com. Pats in Buffalo - Calling All Fans for a Trek The Monday Analysis will travel to Buffalo again this year for the October 3rd away game. Send me a note if you're interested in going. Ticket sales have yet to be announced, and I'll let you know when they do! Draft Weekend 2004 San Diego took Eli Manning as their first pick - who had told the Chargers earlier in the week that he did not want to play for them. An hour later Diego traded their first pick to the Giants for their first pick, quarterback Philip Rivers plus some draft choices in a truly bizarre trade. But more importantly, the Patriots picked up some valuable players, two in the first round. Here's the breakdown of the entire first round: The Patriots picked up the following players:
Patriots Coming and Going Ted Washington signed a four year deal with the Raiders...Anthony Pleasant has retired. The Monday Analysis congratulates him on a terrific championship career, and a bright and well-deserved retirement....Kevin Faulk signed a three-year deal with the Pats....The Patriots re-signed RB Marc Cloud...Free-agent guard from San Diego Bob Hallen signed a two-year deal with the Patriots...J.J. Stokes re-signed with the Patriots...A sure sign that the Ken Walter punting era in New England is over with the Patriots signing veteran punter Josh Miller...Kent State head coach Dan Pees is now the new linebackers coach for the Patriots, after Bob Ryan signed with the Raiders...Tom Brady had minor shoulder surgery and is expected to make a full recovery and be just fine to win Super Bowl XXXIX...Damien Woody signed a deal with the Lions...The Patriots re-signed guard Russ Hochstein...O-T-I-S is B-A-C-K with the P-A-T-S...CB Jeff Burris comes to New England from Cincinnati. CBS Drops Deion Finally, someone over at the Tiffany Network got a clue and fired Deion Sanders from the NFL Today. Sanders refused a $1.3 million offer from CBS, wanting closer to $2 million. No go. Sanders was more mouth than football, treating Sundays like some pathetic side show and not gelling with others in the studio. So he's gone, and hopefully completely forgotten! Early rumors have Shannon Sharpe to retire and filling the spot. Monday Night Releases Guerrero, Picks up Tafoya ABC obviously came to their senses and dropped Lisa Guerrero after one season as the sideline reporter for Monday Night Football, picking up Michelle Tafoya to roam the sidelines. Guerrero made several blunders over her only season, including this question to Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey: "I saw you talking to Laveranues Coles, your ex-teammate (before the game.) What did he say to you?" Ramsey never answered her since he and Coles were current teammates. Guerrero's contract is active through the end of the season. Broncos Retire McCaffrey, Sharpe Both "Easy" Ed McCaffrey and Shannon Sharpe have retired this offseason. Both were apart of the duo championship seasons in Denver, led by Hall of Famer John Elway. Sharpe picked up another ring during a short stint with the Ravens before returning to Denver. Sharpe is the leading candidate for the vacant position on CBS's The NFL Today. McCaffrey played for 13 seasons, while Sharpe played 14 seasons. Random Notes of the League Bill Romanowski was released by the Raiders...Yapp Warren Sapp is now Al Davis' Boy, signing a seven-year deal with Oakland...Brian Griese is heading to north Florida after signing a three-year deal with Tampa Bay...The Redskins signed released QB Mark Brunnell...Tom Tupa signed with the Redskins...David Boston moves from San Diego to Miami after being traded to the Dolphins for cornerback James Fletcher...John Lynch was released from Tampa Bay, then signed with Denver...Terrell Owens was traded to Baltimore, complained, then traded to Philadelphia...Crybaby East Boston native Jermaine Wiggins was dumped by another Super Bowl team and signs with the Vikings...The Bears released QB Chris Chandler, then signed with the Rams...The Giants released QB Kerry Collins...Buffalo QB Drew Bledsoe restructured his contract to make cap room...K Martin Gramatica has signed with the Giants...Kurt Warner is expected to be released by the Rams on June 1, and has visited with the Giants...Dallas released RB Troy Hambrick, and has signed with Oakland...QB Jon Kitna signed a one-year deal with the Bengals. Top Ten List of the Week 1. Pat Tillman 2. I am writing this while watching the Super Bowl XXXVIII DVD. Simply awesome. 3. Bravo to the Pats on another great draft and offseason, thus far. 4. Eli Manning has got to be a bigger baby than his sissy brother, Peyton. "I don't wanna play for the Chargers." Too bad, dude. You got where you're drafted. Next time leave your loser dad home to play golf and work your deals yourself. Baby. 5. Oh, just a reminder: The Patriots won the Super Bowl this year, in case you forgot. 6. Yapp Sapp and Crypt Keeper Davis should be very happy together in Oakland. But don't expect any rings. 7. Ty Law needs to dumps those idiot agents and stop negotiating in the press. Just shut up! 8. Bravo to the Supreme Court for denying Maurice Clarett entrance to the NFL. Dude, wait your turn! 10. Sorry for the lengthy hiatus, folks. It's great to be back. 17 May 2004 |
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