rooneys meet with goodell again about...

SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

Rooneys meet with Goodell again about saleTuesday, August 26, 2008 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The five Rooney brothers venture to New York's Park Avenue this morning to meet with the NFL commissioner for the second time in less than a year, and most of them aren't quite sure why.

They know it concerns the Steelers' ownership issue they have been trying to resolve for the past two years, but they're not quite certain what commissioner Roger Goodell wants to say to them this morning.

One family source ventured a guess that Goodell might try to convince four brothers to sell their combined 64 percent interest in the team to eldest brother Dan, his son Art II and minority investors they have assembled through investment banker Morgan Stanley. The other four brothers -- Art Jr., Tim and twins Pat and John -- have received a separate offer for their shares from billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller. At least one of those brothers asked Druckenmiller, a lifelong Steelers fan, to make a bid.

Art Rooney Jr. has said that for weeks the separate offers were in the hands of the two sides' investment bankers -- the four brothers have retained Goldman Sachs -- and that the process has rivaled "watching paint dry."

That could change this morning, and the family source who suggested Goodell might try to pressure the four brothers to take the offer from Dan Rooney and his son may be on to something.

A league source told the Post-Gazette not to forget that whoever buys the Steelers must be approved by three-fourths of the 32 NFL owners in a vote; it would take only nine votes to scuttle a bid by someone trying to buy the team. He indicated that most owners wanted Dan Rooney to remain in control and might not look kindly on an outsider taking over.

This is a rare ownership issue in the NFL. Usually, when an owner wants to sell, the sale is approved, although there have been occasions when prospective owners were turned down by other NFL owners. This case, however, involves a family that possibly could be split about its intentions, and the team is run by chairman Dan Rooney and president Art Rooney II who want to maintain control of the franchise.

Add in the fact that the Rooneys have owned majority interest in the Steelers since their father Art Sr. paid the NFL a $2,500 fee for the new Pittsburgh charter in 1933 and the resolution of ownership in the franchise carries highly emotional issues as well as the obvious financial ones.

Art Jr. likely expressed the feelings for all five brothers when he said, "I was always hoping to wake up and the whole thing would go away."

It's also not necessarily four brothers vs. Dan and his son. One or two of the brothers could decide not to sell their shares at all, which would scuttle the Druckenmiller bid because sources have told the Post-Gazette that he has no interest in any minority interest in the ballclub.

"If you're going to do something like this, you have to do it all at one time," Art Rooney Jr. said. "You have to go and get a guy like Mr. Druckenmiller and say, it's for control. Mr. Druckenmiller wants that or nothing, as [that] has been made public."

Tim and Pat are said to be the most determined of the brothers to sell. Art Jr. and, supposedly, John have not yet decided.

Art Jr. worked various jobs for the franchise from the time he was old enough to be a ballboy until he became the team's head of player personnel in the 1960s. Under his stewardship, the Steelers had the best draft in NFL history in 1974 and others that helped fuel the great teams of the 1970s.

His brother Dan fired him from his job in 1986, but Art has remained a Steelers vice president, member of its board and owner of the same amount of stock in the franchise as Dan and his other brothers, 16 percent. His passion for the franchise and its heritage also was very evident in the book he published this year.

of 2Rooneys meet with Goodell again about sale

8/26/2008http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08239/906958-66.stm

"He needs us four, yes," Art Jr. said of Druckenmiller's all-or-nothing offer. "That's where it's very difficult for me because this has been my life, even in exile on the outskirts."

Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].

First published on August 26, 2008 at 12:00 am

of 2Rooneys meet with Goodell again about sale


Rooneys to huddle with NFL chief Goodell By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Nothing less than the ownership of the Steelers is on the agenda today when the five Rooney brothers meet in New York with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Goodell called the 10 a.m. meeting at NFL headquarters to determine where the ownership situation stands among the brothers, who apparently cannot agree on a satisfactory sales price.

"I don't have any particular hopes or wishes for our meeting," said Tim Rooney in an e-mail. "I am complying with the commissioner's request for the meeting and hope that it is instructive."

The brothers -- Art Jr., Tim, Patrick, John and Dan -- each own 16 percent of the Steelers. The McGinley family owns the remaining 20 percent.

The brothers -- all of whom are in their 60s and 70s -- are under pressure to sell their interest to avoid inheritance taxes. The NFL also wants the Rooneys, who own horse racing tracks and slots casinos, to comply with league rules that ban team owners from holding stakes in gambling enterprises.

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney is trying to keep control of the team founded by his late father, Art Rooney, in 1933. The four brothers so far have resisted Dan Rooney's buyout pitch.

The four brothers hired the investment firm of Goldman, Sachs & Co. to field offers. The Steelers could sell for more than $1 billion.

Billionaire hedge-fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller, a rabid Steelers fan with strong ties to Pittsburgh, has offered to buy out the four brothers and gain a controlling interest in the team. Druckenmiller could not be reached for comment.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said only the five Rooney brothers, Goodell and his representatives are expected to attend the meeting.

Aiello said Goodell is bringing the Rooneys together "in order to try to continue to make progress and bring it to a resolution."

The internal dispute emerged publicly last month when the Wall Street Journal disclosed the Steelers were up for sale.

Page 1 of 2Rooneys to huddle with NFL chief Goodell - Tribune-Review

8/26/2008http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/sports/steelers/print_584861.html

"When matters involving a franchise in any sport become public and a matter of speculation in the newspapers, whether it be about management or ownership, the commissioner's job is to be proactive and understand what's happening within his league," said Steve Greenberg, managing director of Allen & Co., a New York investment banking firm that specializes in sports transactions. "The commissioner's doing his job, which doesn't surprise me."

"Any commissioner would want to be on top of that and understand what's happening, especially since the Steelers are a marquee franchise with a storied history and one of the important franchises in the league."

NFL rules requiring the approval of 24 of the league's 32 owners to transfer shares in a team. Dan Rooney only would need eight owners to vote against the sale to block it.

Rooney, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is one of the NFL's most influential owners. He declined to comment for this story.

He and his son, Art II, who is president of the Steelers, need to acquire at least 30 percent of the team to comply with current NFL ownership rules. The Steelers' ownership structure was established before the rule took effect.

The five Rooney brothers have been meeting with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who has served as mediator during their talks.

As for today's meeting with Goodell, Tim Rooney said, "We will have to wait and see what develops."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.

Images and text copyright © 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com

Page 2 of 2Rooneys to huddle with NFL chief Goodell - Tribune-Review


TUESDAY AUGUST 26, 2008 :: Last modified: Monday, August 25, 2008 11:27 PM EDT

Rooneys have date with commissioner By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — It will be business as usual today for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers players he coaches. But for the ownership of the storied franchise, there’s an important meeting taking place at NFL headquarters. Team chairman Dan Rooney and his four brothers — Art Jr., a Steelers vice president, Tim, John and Pat — will meet with league commissioner Roger Goodell and his advisors in New York.

Goodell requested the meeting to help settle the Steelers’ perplexing ownership situation. Dan Rooney and his brothers each own 16 percent of the Steelers. But at least three of Rooney’s brothers want to sell their shares. Stanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire Wall Street investor and an avid Steelers fan, is ready to buy out Dan Rooney’s brothers and become majority owner. Dan Rooney also wants to buy his brothers’ shares, but they reportedly aren’t satisfied with his offer. The other 20 percent share of the Steelers is owned by the family of the late Barney McGinley, whose son married the sister of team founder Art Rooney Sr. If Druckenmiller is successful in buying 64 percent or even 48 percent of the Steelers, the Rooneys long ownership run that started in 1933 would come to an end. Dan Rooney and his son Art Rooney II, the current team president, have refused to comment on the matter. “I really have no thoughts and no comment in regards to that,” Tomlin said Monday when asked what he expects to transpire today when Goodell meets with all the Rooneys. “You know, our division of labor is simple. Those guys handle the ownership. I coach the team. The team plays. We’ve left it inside those lines. “It hasn’t been a distraction at all. Really, I haven’t given it a lot of thought. Again, I rest on the words of Art Rooney (II) and Dan Rooney; they’ll handle that business and we need to stay focused on the task at hand, and that’s the pursuit of a championship here in 2008.” Cornerback Deshea Townsend, who’s been with the Steelers for 11 years, agrees with Tomlin. “We’re just players. We have no say on what goes on business-wise,” Townsend said. “There’s no question that Mr. Rooney has been a great owner. Just by talking to other players in the league, they hardy ever see their owners. Their owners don’t interact with the players like Mr. Rooney does. He comes to see us in the locker room after every game. He’s always coming to our

Print Page

Page 1 of 2.: Print Version :.

8/26/2008http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/26/sports/steelers/doc48b375fee62fc689800...

practices. Not only does he care about the team, but he cares about us as players. “Of course, we all would love seeing (Mr. Rooney) stay on, but it is business,” Townsend added. “Business decisions are always made no matter what business you’re in. I’m sure they’ll try and do what’s best for the team.”


8/26/2008http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/26/sports/steelers/doc48b375fee62fc689800...


Steelers veterans institute regulation on Mendenhall to keep rookie from fumbling Tuesday, August 26, 2008 By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana

Rashard Mendenhall is paying a steep price for his two fumbles Saturday against the Vikings. Fellow running back Willie Parker and veteran wide receiver Hines Ward have set the stakes: The '$100 Mendenhall ball.'

The news was out, posted on the Steelers bulletin board for all to read.

"Take Mendenhall's ball away and get $100 from him. And you get an extra $500 if you bring it to the running back's meeting room."

Naturally, rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall had a gaggle of reporters waiting for him at his locker yesterday afternoon.

As Mendenhall strode toward his locker, one of his teammates yelled that he better have that football with him wherever he went.

That football is the "$100 Mendenhall ball," the creation of Hines Ward and Willie Parker to help the Steelers' top draft pick out of Illinois hang onto the football.

Ward and Parker assigned Mendenhall to carry the football around the Steelers' practice facility at all times. Anyone who strips Mendenhall of the ball this week will be the proud recipient of $100, courtesy of Mendenhall.

"Hopefully, he won't have too big of a tab by the end of the week," Ward said.

Ward and Parker came up with this bit of rookie hazing after Mendenhall fumbled twice in the Steelers' 12-10 preseason victory against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday night at the Metrodome. The second fumble came late in the fourth quarter with the Steelers driving for the potential winning field goal.

The Steelers eventually got the ball back and Jeff Reed booted the winning points through the uprights with four seconds remaining, but the end result did not mean Mendenhall was going to get off easy.

The design of the assignment is twofold. Make Mendenhall aware that his fumbling won't be tolerated, and at the same time, make it a light-hearted affair.

"It's for his sake, to get his mind off last game," Parker said. "Now he has other things to think about. It's not fun for him, but

Next

Who: Steelers (2-1) vs. Carolina Panthers (2-1). What: Final preseason game. When: 7 p.m. Where: Heinz Field. TV/radio: KDKA, FSN Pittsburgh, WDVE-FM (102.5), WBGG-AM (970) and Steelers Radio Network.

Page 1 of 2Steelers veterans institute regulation on Mendenhall to keep rookie from fumbling


it is fun for the other guys in the locker room. It's football. It's what we do. We just want him to take it a little more serious."

"We just want to make sure that he's not fumbling at crucial times," Ward said. "We just wanted to give him a little extra incentive and motivation."

When asked if a rookie could afford such a potentially steep bill, Ward said, "What was his signing bonus? He can afford it."

The idea apparently was lifted from the movie "The Program," the 1993 flick starring James Caan, Halle Berry and Omar Epps.

Epps portrays a running back. Because of his tendency to fumble, Epps' character is forced to lug a ball with him wherever he goes.

Mendenhall is well aware of the movie, calling it one of his favorites, but he's not particularly fond of being cast in Epps' former role.

"It's a little unrealistic if you ask me," Mendenhall said. "Eighty guys [trying to strip the ball] all the time. But it's something I have to do."

Mendenhall's week got off to a rough start. Defensive backs Tyrone Carter and Travis Williams already had knocked the ball from his grasp.

The only time Mendenhall doesn't have to hold onto the ball is when he's eating. Otherwise, it's open season, including his time away from the team's practice facility.

"If I see him out at a restaurant, I better see that ball," Ward said.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made it clear after the game Saturday that Mendenhall's ball security would be addressed. And he seemed to be in favor of the way his teammates were getting their message across.

"Peer pressure is the ultimate motivator," Tomlin said. "The reality is he has to hold onto the football, by whatever means that gets done. I saw him walking around with a football a little bit. As long as he doesn't fumble it, he's fine."

Mendenhall, who said he had never fumbled twice in a game in his college or high school career, was taking the assignment in stride. And he hopes to have the majority of his signing bonus still in the bank by the time the Steelers play host to the Carolina Panthers in the preseason finale Thursday night.

As of last night, no one had been awarded the $500 prize.

"Yeah I'm losing a little bit of money, but it will be all right," he said. "It's part of being a rookie. You have to do anything that's asked of you, especially if it's a veteran like Hines."

"Hopefully, he won't have too big of a tab by the end of the week. ... What was his signing bonus? He can afford it."

-- Hines Ward "It's not fun for him, but it is fun for the other guys in the locker room. It's football. It's what we do."

Ray Fittipaldo can be reached at [email protected].


Page 2 of 2Steelers veterans institute regulation on Mendenhall to keep rookie from fumbling



Steelers Notebook: Hartwig outduels Mahan for starting center positionTuesday, August 26, 2008 By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Justin Hartwig (62) warms up with quarterback Dennis Dixon before the first preseason game. Hartwig, signed as a free agent in the offseason, will be the starting center this season.

The writing was on the wall in the spring when the Steelers signed Justin Hartwig to compete for the starting center position with incumbent Sean Mahan. Now the writing is on the depth chart.

Coach Mike Tomlin said yesterday that Hartwig has earned the starting nod over Mahan and will anchor the line when the season begins against the Houston Texans Sept 7 at Heinz Field.

"We watched this battle closely," Tomlin said after a 90-minute workout yesterday. "Both guys have done a nice job. Ultimately, for me, there was a level of comfort with [Hartwig's] size and strength and range. In the short term it may create a little discomfort for us because we have better cohesion with Sean and some of the other guys because of their game experience and working together.

"Justin is new. He has to continue to develop that kind of relationship with the men he plays with. But we're excited with what he brings to the table and look forward to moving ahead."

Mahan was signed before last season and started all 16 games and the playoff game against Jacksonville. Mahan, at 6 feet 3 and 301 pounds, is not considered big by NFL standards and had some trouble handling the wide-bodied nose guards he competed against last season.

Hartwig, who is 6-4 and 312 pounds, gives the Steelers more size and strength at the position

"Look around our division and look at some of the people we have to play against, not only in the division but in the AFC, and there are some big and powerful men that play over center," Tomlin said. "[Hartwig] has the skill set to wage that physical battle for us and we'll move forward."

Mahan was at morning meetings yesterday, but he did not practice. Tomlin said Mahan received a phone call shortly before lunchtime and he had to "attend to a personal emergency."

Injury report

Several Steelers starters did not practice yesterday. The most serious injury appears to be to starting inside linebacker Larry Foote, who has what Tomlin termed as a "sprain" in his left knee.

Tomlin said Foote will be held out of the Steelers' final preseason game against Carolina Thursday night.

"He had his knee examined," Tomlin said. "It won't require any medical procedure. But it does need to heal. He's going to heal this week."

Page 1 of 2Steelers Notebook: Hartwig outduels Mahan for starting center position


When asked if he could miss the season opener against Houston, Tomlin said: "I don't want to speculate on that at this time. I know he's not going to play this week."

Other players who did not take part in the workout yesterday and are considered day to day include: quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), linebacker James Harrison (shoulder) and receiver Limas Sweed (knee).

Sweed was to have his knee examined last night.

One other player left practice with an injury. Cornerback Bryant McFadden left the workout with a quadriceps injury.

Tomlin gave running back Willie Parker the day off.

Polamalu practices

Safety Troy Polamalu lined up with the first-team defense and appears ready to play for the first time this preseason. Polamalu, who missed the first three preseason games with a hamstring injury, will play against Carolina unless he has a setback.

"If he's breathing, he'll play," Tomlin said.

Polamalu welcomed the opportunity to take the field before the regular season begins.

"I feel like I need to play," he said. "I would like to play. It was good to get out there. It feels good."

Roster moves

The Steelers placed injured punter Daniel Sepulveda on injured reserve and cut three other players yesterday to get their roster down to 77 players. They need to cut one more player by 4 p.m. today to get down to the NFL minimum.

Kick returner Jeremy Bloom, defensive lineman Martavius Prince and quarterback Mike Potts were released. The Steelers have to get down to 76 players, not 75, by the deadline because wide receiver Marvin Allen automatically will be on the practice squad as special exemption under the NFL international player exchange program.


Page 2 of 2Steelers Notebook: Hartwig outduels Mahan for starting center position


Mendenhall gets gripping lessons By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Rashard Mendenhall is having a ball this week on the South Side, but it's costing him.

"I'm losing a little bit of money right now," the Steelers' No. 1 pick acknowledged on Monday afternoon.

The hope is that, in the process, Mendenhall will learn a lot more about ball security, specifically the value of it at the NFL level.

Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward figured a little education was necessary after Mendenhall lost a pair of fumbles in the Steelers' 12-10 preseason victory over Minnesota on Saturday night.

Mendenhall arrived at the Steelers' South Side practice facility on Monday morning to find the following message scribbled onto the grease board in the locker room: "Take Mendenhall's ball away and get $100 from him. And you get an extra $500 if you bring it to the RB's meeting room."

There was also a special football waiting for Mendenhall's almost undivided attention.

"It says 'Mendenhall's $100 ball.' You get it, you will get paid," Ward said.

"First-round guy, he can afford $100."

Mendenhall has been assigned to keep the ball in his grasp just about anywhere and everywhere he goes this week leading up to Thursday night's preseason finale against Carolina.

The practice field, where Mendenhall won't always be asked to carry the ball, is one exception. The Steelers' South Side cafeteria is the other, something Mendenhall didn't realize at breakfast but had been informed about by lunchtime.

"We didn't want guys knocking food all over the place," Ward said. "But anywhere else he's at other than the football field he will have that ball. Meeting rooms, bathrooms, when he's out pumping gas he better have it or he's going to get fined."

Page 1 of 2Mendenhall gets gripping lessons - Tribune-Review


Mendenhall reported that as of early Monday afternoon veteran safety Tyrone Carter and free agent-rookie defensive back Travis Williams had earned their $100.

"It's real tough, a little unrealistic if you ask me, with 80 guys, all the time, all day," Mendenhall said. "But it's something they asked me to do so I have to do it. It's part of being a rookie, you have to do what's asked of you. Especially with a veteran, a leader like Hines, it's just something you have to do."

The hazing/educational tool was inspired by Ward seeing the college football movie "The Program" the other night.

And it's transcended the normal division of offensive and defensive platoons.

The offensive guys don't exactly have Mendenhall's back on this one.

"They aren't helping me, but they haven't been trying to strip me as hard as the defensive guys," he said.

"I understand what they're trying to do. That's part of it, and it's well-deserved.

"It's not a confidence issue for me at all, it's never been. Me carrying the ball around, that's for these guys, so that they know I'm willing to do it."

The fumbles spoiled what was an otherwise productive night for Mendenhall against the Vikings.

He carried 15 times for 79 yards, averaged 5.3 yards per carry and broke off runs of 21, 18 and 16 yards that didn't result in turnovers.

Running back Willie Parker said it's imperative Mendenhall get a grip as his NFL career gets off the ground.

"You start losing the ball in the preseason, they're going to come after it in the regular season," Parker said.

Any means necessary to avoid such an occurrence was OK with coach Mike Tomlin.

"Peer pressure is the ultimate motivator," Tomlin said. "The reality is he has to hold onto the ball."

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.



Page 2 of 2Mendenhall gets gripping lessons - Tribune-Review


Tomlin picks Hartwig as starting center By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, August 26, 2008

• Steelers coach Mike Tomlin officially named Justin Hartwig the starting center on Monday. Hartwig, a free agent from Carolina, replaces Sean Mahan, who signed as a free agent from Tampa Bay prior to last season. "Ultimately for me, there was a level of comfort with his size and strength and range," Tomlin said.

• Safety Troy Polamalu (hamstring) got in some practice reps with the first-team defense and is scheduled to make his preseason debut on Thursday night against Carolina. "He's playing," Tomlin said. "If he's breathing, he's playing.

• Tomlin declared inside linebacker Larry Foote out of Thursday night's game against the Panthers with a sprained knee. Foote will not need any sort of procedure, Tomlin said, but requires rest.

• A number of players didn't practice or finish practice yesterday. Among them were Foote (knee), linebacker James Harrison (shoulder), quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), running back Willie Parker (coach's decision), linebacker Mike Humpal (stinger), wide receiver Limas Sweed (knee) and cornerback Bryant McFadden (quad). Tomlin said Sweed was to have his knee looked at yesterday afternoon, and that safety Ryan Mundy (ankle sprain) was a "maybe" for the Carolina game. Harrison, McFadden and Roethlisberger are day to day, Tomlin said. Mahan didn't practice after receiving a phone call about a personal emergency, Tomlin said.

• The Steelers released quarterback Mike Potts, wide receiver Jeremy Bloom and defensive lineman Martavius Prince and placed punter Daniel Sepulveda (knee) on injured reserve yesterday. They must cut one more player before the mandatory roster reduction to 75 by 4 p.m. today.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.



Page 1 of 1Tomlin picks starting center - Tribune-Review


Ex-Steeler Elter called career 'a dream come true' By Daveen Rae Kurutz TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, August 26, 2008

It's been nearly 50 years since Leo Elter played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Pro Bowl running back still got a thrill every time a fan would send him memorabilia to sign.

"Almost until the day he died, people would find his football cards and write him super letters and ask him if he would mind signing them," said his daughter, Valerie Skeel of Shaler.

"He just thought it was nice that people still thought of him. He was very modest about it."

Leo "Ducky" Elter of Shaler died of heart failure on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. He was 78.

Mr. Elter, the son of the late William and Elizabeth Elter, was born and raised in Shaler. He played on the Shaler High School football team in the 1940s, then went on to play running back for Duquesne University. After the school's team disbanded for a short time, he transferred to Villanova University.

Mr. Elter enlisted in the Marines, where he was recruited to play for the Parris Island Marines' football team. His son, Leo Elter of Hampton, said Mr. Elter had to go through basic training with the other recruits, then head to football practice.

Upon his discharge, he was signed by Art Rooney Sr., founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his seven-year NFL career, Mr. Elter played four seasons with the Steelers (1953-54 and 1958-59) and three with the Washington Redskins (1955-57), rushing for a total of 1,380 yards.

"He said it was a dream come true," his son said. "Art told him he had a lot of potential, but wanted him to go somewhere he would be utilized. As soon as he had room for him, Art wanted him back."

With the Steelers, Mr. Elter played on offense and defense, his son said.

"Back then, you only got paid when you played. Back then, you got a refrigerator for playing in the Pro Bowl. They couldn't wait, because that extra little bit was helpful to the guys with a family."

Mr. Elter made the Pro Bowl with the Redskins in 1956.

Page 1 of 2Ex-Steeler Elter called career 'a dream come true' - Tribune-Review


After leaving football, Mr. Elter worked at the Allegheny County Workhouse in Blawnox and coached the inmates' football team. He then moved on to warehouse work for Nordic Fisheries in the Strip District and helped a daughter learn the profession.

"He was my buddy and taught me how to ride a forklift," said Colleen Belenis of Cranberry. "He was always looking at his lunchbox to see what homemade goodies Mom would put in."

He got his nickname as a child, when he would play in Pine Creek, Skeel said.

Mr. Elter was described by his children as an "armchair quarterback."

"Most kids learn 'no' as their first lesson, but we learned 'get away from the TV,'" Leo Elter said. "My wife and I took my parents on a trip to Hawaii years ago, and walking back from dinner one night, Dad looked at his watch and told us he was going back to the hotel. He didn't want to miss the scrimmage game on television, even out in Hawaii. He ate, drank and slept football."

In addition to his daughters and son, Mr. Elter is survived by his wife, Olga Mykicz Elter; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by 10 siblings.

Visitation is scheduled from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Bock Funeral Home, 1500 Mt. Royal Blvd., Shaler.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at All Saints Roman Catholic Church, 19 Wilson St., Etna. Burial will follow in Mt. Royal Cemetery, Shaler.

Daveen Rae Kurutz can be reached at [email protected] or 412-380-5627.



Page 2 of 2Ex-Steeler Elter called career 'a dream come true' - Tribune-Review



Steelers make early round of cuts By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH â€• The Steelers officially placed punter Daniel Sepulveda on the injured reserve list Monday and cut three other players. Those moves lowered the roster number to 77. The Steelers must get to 76 by Tuesday.

Sepulveda, a fourth-round draft pick last year, suffering a season-ending knee injury the first week of training camp. He averaged 42.4 yards per punt last year. Meanwhile, the Steelers released quarterback Mike Potts, wide receiver Jeremy Bloom and defensive lineman Martavius Prince. Even though the NFL mandates that rosters must be cut to 75 players on Tuesday, the Steelers have an exemption. He’s wide receiver Marvin Allen of Dorking, England. Allen will be a member of the team’s practice squad this year as part of the NFL’s international player development program. So the Steelers must make one more roster move prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.

Print Page


8/26/2008http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/26/sports/steelers/doc48b2ec32ad9fa015938...


Steelers Report: Hartwig beats out Mahan By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff

PITTSBURGH — To the surprise of no one, Justin Hartwig will be the Steelers’ starting center this season. Talk about worst-kept secrets. From the moment Hartwig (6-foot-4, 312 pounds) was signed via free agency on March 25, it was assumed he’d be the starter over incumbent Sean Mahan (6-3, 301).

“Both guys have done a nice job,” coach Mike Tomlin said Monday. “Ultimately for me, there was a level of comfort with his size, strength and range. “Look around our division, and in the AFC, at some of the people he has to play against. Domata Peko (6-3, 319) in Cincinnati, Shaun Rogers (6-4, 340) in Cleveland and Kelly Gregg (6-0, 310) in Baltimore. It goes on and on. “This guy (Hartwig) has a physical skills set to wage that battle for us.” After Mahan struggled last year, the Steelers searched the free-agent market for a possible replacement and signed Hartwig. Mahan started the Steelers’ first preseason game this summer, but Hartwig started the next two and will start again Thursday when the Steelers close out exhibition play against the Carolina Panthers. POLAMALU WILL PLAY Strong safety Troy Polamalu, who missed the first three preseason games as he recovered from a hamstring pull, finally practiced with the first-team defense Monday. That means he’ll get a few snaps Thursday against the Panthers at Heinz Field. Polamalu, a four-time Pro Bowl all-star, suited up for Saturday night’s preseason game in Minnesota and took part in pre-game drills. But he knew before hand that he wasn’t going to play. “I was just trying to get into a game routine against the Vikings,” he said. “It felt good to go out there with my uniform on and at least do warm-ups.” FOOTE OUT INDEFINITELY Inside linebacker Larry Foote’s knee injury isn’t deemed serious, but he won’t play Thursday and that he might miss the Sept. 7 regular-season opener. That paves the way for Lawrence Timmons, last year’s No. 1 draft pick, to slide into the starting role and keep it. Timmons has had an excellent preseason and has been pushing Foote for playing time.

Print Page


8/26/2008http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/26/sports/steelers/doc48b375ce1a406389983...

In other injury news, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) and wide receiver Limas Sweed (knee) missed practice Monday. Roethlisberger is due back today, but Sweed needs further testing to determine the extent of his injury. Cornerback Bryant McFadden left practice early with an undisclosed injury to a thigh muscle. ROSTER DOWN TO 77 The Steelers officially placed punter Daniel Sepulveda on the injured reserve list and cut three other players: quarterback Mike Potts, wide receiver Jeremy Bloom and defensive lineman Martavius Prince. Those moves lowered the roster number to 77. The Steelers must get to 76 by 4 p.m. today. Even though the NFL mandates that rosters must be cut to 75 players by today, the Steelers have an exemption. He’s wide receiver Marvin Allen of Dorking, England. Allen will be a member of the team’s practice squad this year as part of the NFL’s international player development program.


8/26/2008http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/26/sports/steelers/doc48b375ce1a406389983...

Center decision a snap; punter job still up in air By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer

[email protected]

PITTSBURGH - That's one down and one to go.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday he has decided to go with Justin Hartwig as the team's starting center, choosing the seven-year veteran over Sean Mahan. Mahan was the starting center last year.

"We watched this battle closely," Tomlin said. "We have a level of comfort with (Hartwig's) size, strength and range."

With the center battle now decided, the only position that remains unsettled is punter, where the Steelers are looking for a replacement for Daniel Sepulveda. Sepulveda was placed on injured reserve Monday after having surgery to repair a torn knee ligament in his right (non-kicking) leg.

Paul Ernster, a fourth-year player who has spent time with Denver and Cleveland, and 13-year veteran Mitch Berger, who punter last season for Arizona, are vying to replace Sepulveda. Neither holds an edge heading into the final preseason game Thursday at Heinz Field against Carolina.

"I know Paul's doing a good job (and) I'm doing a good job," Berger said. "We're both holding (on placement kicks) and Paul kicks off as well. It's just going to depend on what they're looking for."

In three preseason games, Ernster has averaged 44.3 yards on 12 punts, placing five inside the 20-yard line. Berger, who was signed after the first preseason game, averages 47.5 yards on four punts with three going inside the 20.

But in the Steelers' 12-10 win Saturday at Minnesota, Berger did not get an opportunity to kick. Ernster was scheduled to punt in the first half and had his best game, averaging 48 yards on four punts, placing three inside the 20.

Berger was supposed to play in the second half but the Steelers never punted.

"The last game, he got four punts and I got one, so you never know when you're going to punt," said Ernster. "It just worked out that I got all the punts."

Berger isn't concerned about his lack of action as the Steelers near cutdown day. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by Aug. 30.

"We're competing in practice and I've got 14 years of game film as well," Berger said. "I counted, it's like the 49th preseason game I've played in. That's just the way it goes sometimes."

This is, however, the first time in his career that Berger has auditioned for a job heading into the final preseason game.

"I've never been in camp where it hasn't been my job to lose, where the only way I wouldn't win it was if

Page 1 of 2Center decision a snap; punter job still up in air

8/26/2008http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Print/8-26-Steelers-punters-decision

I fell on my face, which isn't going to happen," Berger said. "Obviously, this will be the last impression we get to give them, so you want to give a good one."

Odds and end zones

After running back Rashard Mendenhall lost two fumbles against the Vikings, wide receiver Hines Ward is making him carry a ball around the team's practice facility. Any player who takes the ball from Mendenhall gets $100 from the rookie. Any player who takes the ball and shows up with it at a team meeting gets $500. ... Mahan did not practice in the afternoon after being called away at lunchtime because of a family emergency. ... In addition to placing Sepulveda on injured reserve, the Steelers released wide receiver Jeremy Bloom, defensive tackle Martavius Prince and quarterback Mike Potts to trim their roster to 77 players. The Steelers must make one more roster move prior to today's 4 p.m. deadline to reach this week's limit. The team receives an exemption for wide receiver Marvin Allen, who will be a member of the practice squad this year as part of the NFL's international player development program.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

Page 2 of 2Center decision a snap; punter job still up in air

8/26/2008http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Print/8-26-Steelers-punters-decision

08/26/2008

Steelers pare roster, cut Bloom, 2 others

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Wide receiver-kick returner Jeremy Bloom, the former World Cup skiing star and two-time Olympian, was among three players cut Monday in the Pittsburgh Steelers' first preseason roster cutdown. Also released were former William and Mary quarterback Mike Potts and defensive lineman Martavius Prince. The Steelers, who play the Carolina Panthers on Thursday in their final exhibition game, must make one more roster cut by Tuesday. Punter Daniel Sepulveda, who was lost for the season with a knee injury on the first full day of camp July 28, was placed on the reserved-injured list. Bloom, a fifth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2006, was trying to make the Steelers as a kick returner but could not win the job. The former Colorado wide receiver and three-time world champion skier made the 2002 and 2006 Olympic ski teams and won a record six consecutive World Cup races in 2005. Also Monday, Justin Hartwig was named by coach Mike Tomlin as the starting center for the Sept. 7 opener against Houston. Hartwig, cut by Carolina at the end of last season, beat out former Tampa Bay lineman Sean Mahan, who was signed to be the starting center after Jeff Hartings retired at the end of the 2006 season. "We have a level of comfort with his size, speed and range," Tomlin said of Hartwig. At 6-foot-4 and 312 pounds, Hartwig is slightly bigger than the 6-3, 301-pound Mahan, who lost some weight during the 2007 season and had problems at times blocking larger defensive tackles. Copyright Associated Press 2008

©The Herald Standard 2008

Page 1 of 1The Herald Standard - Sports - 08/26/2008 - Steelers pare roster, cut Bloom, 2 others

8/26/2008http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2280&dept_id=468632&ne...

Powered by

By Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY

LATROBE, Pa. — Big plans fuel the lifeblood of training camps, which somewhat explains the buzz humming about the Pittsburgh Steelers' dreadlock-wearing No. 10.

"Santonio! Santonio!" the kids screamed after a recent practice, relentless in a quest for autographs. "Santonio, please!"

Santonio Holmes, the third-year receiver and former first-round pick, has used big plays as his signature in becoming a summer star. That he's poised for a bigger role — not only on offense, but as a situational punt returner — is no secret.

No wonder the autograph-seekers are so passionate.

Also apparent is that Holmes' designs for a breakout year start from the ground up.

"Sixteen games, that's all I'm worried about," Holmes said. "That will contribute to how successful my season is going to be. If I play all 16 games as the starter. It's not about yards, catches, touchdowns or averages. Just 16 games. If I don't play 16 games, who cares?"

Holmes started four games as a rookie, then won the job last year and missed three games with injuries. The Steelers view his determination to stay healthy as a testament to professional growth. A year ago, coach Mike Tomlin lit into Holmes for being out of shape.

"I agreed with him," Holmes said. "I was tired after three or four plays, coming back to the huddle asking for a breather. That wasn't me. I just didn't train hard enough."

After an offseason of extensive distance running and sprints, Holmes — who averaged an NFL-best 18.2-yard average on 52 catches last season — arrived this summer with something to prove. Tomlin sees it.

"He can run all day," Tomlin says. "That's the key building block. When a guy is in condition, sharpens his skills, gets in sync with the quarterback … the results are what they are. He's better positioned to take advantage of opportunities."

Prospects include punt returns, which Holmes did at Ohio State and as a rookie before Tomlin shut the door on that role in 2007.

Advertisement

Ready for a breakout? Steelers' Holmes still long on potential

Page 1 of 2Ready for a breakout? Steelers' Holmes still long on potential - USATODAY.com

8/26/2008http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Ready+for+a+breakout...

Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

"I know he's in great shape," Tomlin says. "That's why I wasn't interested in doing it last year. But I grew up in Virginia, in an era when (Washington Redskins Hall of Famer) Darrell Green was a part-time punt-returner who showed up big in big games. When you have skills that can help the team win, you let guys do what they do."

Holmes, who scored touchdowns on two of his three catches this summer, returned his first punts of the preseason on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings. Tomlin sees a weapon to be employed when a spark is needed, when the opponent is pinned near its goal line, or when games are at stake.

This excites Holmes, who didn't have to lobby for the role.

"Being away from it last year, that kind of took away from my game," he said. "It kept me from getting my hands on the ball."

That mind-set surely extends to his flow on offense, where some expect Holmes will supplant 11th-year veteran Hines Ward as Ben Roethlisberger's top target. Ward, 32, has led the team in receptions for nine consecutive seasons and is the franchise's all-time leader with 719 catches.

"The biggest question is, 'Who's No. 1? Who's No. 2?' I don't worry about it," says Ward, off a 72-catch season. "They can put Santonio No. 1. But we don't sit there on the board and say, 'This is No. 1, this is No. 2. Coverage dictates where the ball goes."

Ward, the MVP of Super Bowl XL, seems secure despite the emergence of Holmes and selection of wideout Limas Sweed in the second round. He laughs when considering the reviews that Holmes has garnered.

"Santonio's a great, young talent," Ward said. "This is the year he can make his name. If the media wants to give him all the attention, fine. You know what you're going to get from No. 86, so it doesn't bother me that I'm the guy talked about the least."

Ward has seen plenty receivers come and go. He's impressed that Holmes has attacked the biggest knocks with a vengeance.

"Usually, in your third year a light bulb comes on," says Ward. "All the talent's there. He has potential out of this world.

"But being consistent, that's how you make a name. You can't have a great game and then disappear. That's what I'm preaching to Santonio." Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/steelers/2008-08-25-santonio-holmes_N.htm

Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

Page 2 of 2Ready for a breakout? Steelers' Holmes still long on potential - USATODAY.com

8/26/2008http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Ready+for+a+breakout...

August 26, 2008

New Stadiums: Prices, and Outrage, Escalate

By RICHARD SANDOMIR

No American market has witnessed anything like it: two baseball teams and two football teams will open

three new stadiums within 17 months and 20 miles of one another, with everything set to be in place by the

fall of 2010.

But even as fans of the Mets, the Yankees, the Giants and the Jets look forward to state-of-the-art stadium

architecture, better sightlines, wider concourses and more bathrooms, some of them are also facing startling

increases in ticket costs during a serious economic downturn.

The teams are confident market research supports the increases, but season-ticket holders say the price they

are being asked to pay in the new stadiums — the Mets’ $800 million Citi Field, the $1.3 billion Yankee

Stadium and the $1.6 billion (and climbing) Jets-Giants stadium — is turning them into something other

than fans. Instead, interviews with two dozen fans indicated, they are starting to feel like unwitting bankers.

“You’re asking me for money and giving me nothing in return,” said Steve Kern, a construction executive

from Boonton Township, N.J., who owns two Jets season tickets. “I won’t be sharing in the revenues or get

any perks.”

Kern, who organized a small protest outside the Jets-Giants exhibition game Saturday, said he objected to the

sale of personal seat licenses, the one-time fees that simply give fans the right to buy season tickets at the new

stadium the Jets and Giants will share.

The Giants have said they will charge from $1,000 to $20,000 a seat for their personal seat licenses; once

fans buy the seat licenses, they will still have to pay from $85 to $700 a ticket. The Jets are expected to unveil

their ticket plan Tuesday.

“Here I am, buying a stadium for John Mara,” said Hank Honig, an accountant from Middletown, N.J., who

owns eight Giants season tickets, referring to the team’s co-owner. “I’d love to see him issue a registration

statement like a stock offering that would disclose information we don’t know. This is a greedy ploy with the

only benefits going to them.”

Mara, who has been dealing with an outpouring of complaints that he no doubt anticipated, responded,

“They have ownership of their seats and can transfer it.”

Thomas Malmud, a real estate lawyer who has season tickets to the Jets, the Mets and the Yankees, said that

paying for seat licenses made him feel as if he is helping the Jets’ owner, Woody Johnson, pay the team’s

half-share of the new stadium. He seemed less upset with the Mets.

Page 1 of 4Tickets for New Stadiums - Prices, and Outrage, Escalate - NYTimes.com

8/26/2008http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/sports/26tickets.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=footbal...

“The Jets and Giants want me to be an equity partner without any upside,” he said. “But with the Mets, the

price has some relationship to the market for sporting tickets.”

His Mets seats will jump from about $88 a game to $175. “It’s a huge increase, but not unconscionable,” he

said.

Fans are now calculating how expensive it will be for many of them to attend games at the new stadiums.

Tickets for the best seats at the 85-year-old Yankee Stadium, which sold for $1,000 a seat this season, will

jump at the new ballpark to $2,500; in other areas of the stadium, they will range from $135 to $500 for

season tickets. Prices for single-game tickets, which ranged from $14 to $400 this season, will be released

later.

The best seats at Citi Field, which cost $276 at Shea Stadium this season, will soar to $495, with other season

tickets ranging from $125 to $225 a game. Single-game tickets this season ranged from $5 to $117. (Citi

Field’s capacity of about 42,500 compares with 57,333 at Shea.) Neither team has made known all of its

prices. Both teams also say broad swaths of more modestly priced tickets will be available.

Typically, all four teams sell a majority of seats as season tickets.

The personal seat licenses will allow the Giants to collect an estimated $185 million, after taxes, which will

help pay for their stadium bonds. Mara conceded that fans were helping to finance a stadium whose costs had

more than doubled from what he called an initial, and sketchy, $750 million estimate.

“It’s impossible to build a stadium of this magnitude without public funding unless you do something

significant with ticket prices or P.S.L.’s,” he said.

Dave Howard, the Mets’ executive vice president for business, said that Citi Field’s pricing was designed to

make those who sit closest to the field pay the most so that prices can be kept reasonable elsewhere. “The

market indicates that a sector of our fan base is willing to pay a premium price for a premium location,” he

said.

The shift to Citi Field unsettles fans like Richard Mermelstein, a lawyer from Scarsdale, N.Y. Since buying

two season tickets the day the Mets acquired Gary Carter in 1984, he has upgraded several times to loge seats

behind home plate. His bill — $9,280 in 2006, $10,584 in 2007 and $13,060 this season — would spike to

$24,300, or $150 a seat, next season if he moves to the seats designated as comparable to his Shea seats.

“Imagine how you’d feel if $300 goes to waste when they’re out of it in September,” he said.

The Mets have so far not agreed to let him downgrade to less expensive seats and he fears that if he goes on a

waiting list, he may lose out entirely in relocating to Citi Field.

Howard said that some downgrade requests are easier to fulfill than others, as fans with seats at Shea that are

comparable to the less-expensive ones sought by Mermelstein are served first. He also said that partial

season-ticket plans might not survive.



“We’ve told our customers that if they want priority seating, they should have a full-season plan,” Howard

said.

Season-ticket holders of the four teams said they were contemplating various strategies to cope.

Some, like Mermelstein, want to downgrade — or else drop their tickets.

Some, like Honig, want to flip some of their seat licenses for a profit — after holding them for the required

minimum of one year — to pay for the remaining ones.

Some are seeking partners to shoulder the costs.

One public-relations executive in Manhattan, whose company did not permit him to speak publicly, was

faced with a $120,000 bill for his six Giants seat licenses. He sold four of them to a major financial services

executive for $30,000 each, a 50 percent markup. He retained two licenses, and has an option to buy back

one of his partner’s licenses at market value.

Others, already sophisticated about reselling tickets on sites like stubhub.com, will try to recoup even more

money by reselling tickets to attractive games.

Richie Brown of Manhattan, a uniform salesman, holds four fourth-row seats on the first-base side at Yankee

Stadium that are jumping to $650 apiece from $220.

“It’s going to cost $2,600 to sit there on a rainy day in April to watch Kansas City,” he said. “You sit there

saying, maybe at $220, you have a chance of selling them to somebody, but try selling four tickets at $650

each.”

Mark S. Rosentraub, a professor of urban affairs at Cleveland State University and an expert in sports

finances, said that new-stadium economics were forcing fans to become smart, well-organized ticket brokers.

“You’ll have to put together packages where you sell your Royals tickets at a loss but hope you make it back

on your Red Sox tickets,” he said. “If you’re used to seeing the Red Sox nine times, maybe now it’ll be four or

five times.”

He said the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets would not be setting their seat license and ticket prices

so high without having studied data about the market from sources like StubHub. The Giants’ Mara offered a

blunt lesson in market-driven economics on WFAN radio this month. “We have 130,000 people on our

waiting list,” he said. “We could charge anything and still fill the stadium.”

The Nyack Rotary Club, with four Giants season tickets bequeathed to it by a member, faces an unusual

problem. It raffles off the tickets to raise funds for scholarships and local elementary school literacy

programs. Now, faced with paying seat licenses of $20,000 each, Christopher Haera, a former club president,

said, “It seems odd to take out a loan to do a fund-raiser, and you don’t want to do a fund-raiser to do a fund-

raiser."

Few fans have a broader view of season tickets than Aldo Zu-ppichini, who spends six figures annually to see



the Yankees, the Giants, the Jets, the Knicks and the Rangers. He is giving up his football tickets (“I’ve got a

65-inch flat screen”) and has traded down to $135 seats in the Terrace Suite (“a fancy name for the upper

deck”) at the new Yankee Stadium rather than pay $650 a game to watch Derek Jeter.

Zuppichini, a resident of Fort Lee, N.J., who is the vice president for sales for Pretzel Crisps, reluctantly

signed a 10-year contract for the $135 seats, with built-in annual ticket price increases of 4 percent a year.

“You can’t be any more die-hard then me,” he said, “but when the Giants’ P.S.L. letter came in, I was so

burned, I read half of it and threw it away.”

Feeling more betrayed is Irwin Shivek, of Boynton Beach, Fla. He bought his first two Giants season tickets

back in 1946, doing so “over the counter” from Jack Mara, John’s uncle, at the team’s old business offices on

42nd Street in Manhattan.

In time, Shivek added two more season tickets and ended up in one of the Giants Stadium sections that make

up the Coach’s Club at the new stadium, where seat licenses cost $20,000 and game tickets go for $700 each.

The Giants say they are priced at that level because of their location behind the Giants’ bench, and because

they provide access to a club that will provide free food and beverages and the ability to watch post-game

interviews.

In 1989, Shivek moved from Secaucus, N.J., to Florida, and gave his tickets to his daughters, Susan and Lynn

(whose middle name is Mara, a show of the family’s allegiance to the Giants). Susan and her husband will pay

the new bill — $40,000 for two licenses and $14,000 for their season tickets, starting in 2010. But Lynn

cannot.

“If the tickets were still in my name, I’d tear them up,” said Shivek, a former executive at Syms, the clothing

chain. “If they couldn’t afford to finance that stadium on their own, they shouldn’t be leaving Giants

Stadium.”

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

Privacy Policy Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work for Us Site Map



Powered by

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The New York Giants are interested in luring Michael Strahan out of retirement after losing Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury Saturday night.

The Super Bowl champions contacted the representative for the seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end on Monday to gauge Strahan's interest in returning for a 16th season.

"They want to see if there is any interest there," agent Tony Agnone told the Associated Press. "I have to talk to Michael."

THE HUDDLE BLOG: Will divorce ruling affect Strahan's decision

Strahan is on vacation in Greece. Agnone said he has not talked to him about the Giants' inquiry.

Agnone described the Giants' call as a courtesy — for now — and noted the two sides did no negotiating.

"Part of the talk was about Osi," said Agnone, who also represents Umenyiora.

Strahan turned down a $6 million contract offer in the offseason. He then signed with Fox Sports to work on its NFL pregame show.

With Strahan's status uncertain, the Giants shuffled their defense Monday and moved Mathias Kiwanuka back to end from his strongside linebacker spot.

"I was told all along that if something were to happen that this is a position I could find myself in," Kiwanuka said. "I am ready to step in there and hopefully there won't be a letdown at all."

A 2006 first-round draft choice, Kiwanuka was switched to linebacker 17 months ago so the Giants could get their best 11 defenders on the field.

Whatever happens with Strahan, it seems certain that Kiwanuka is going to be a defensive lineman this season, even if Strahan returns.

"We are going to go forward with the players that we have," coach Tom Coughlin said. "And we are always looking for and searching for people who can help our team. And nothing is going to change with regard to that."

THE HUDDLE BLOG: Coughlin testy after repeated Strahan questions

General manager Jerry Reese had said earlier Monday that the Giants were looking at all their options.

Jets quarterback Brett Favre, recently unretired himself, said the Giants should do whatever possible to get Strahan back.

"The guy still looks great, hell of a player," Favre said at the Jets' facility in Hempstead, N.Y. "I would have done whatever to try to get him back initially, but now, how could you not want him back?

"Wouldn't that be something, he comes back and we start a trend?"

Advertisement

Agent: Giants have reached out to Michael Strahan

Page 1 of 2Agent: Giants have reached out to Michael Strahan - USATODAY.com

8/26/2008http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Agent%3A+Giants+have...

Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Giants teammates had their doubts about Strahan returning.

"As I know it, he is probably on a beach somewhere sipping on some pina coladas, so I doubt football is the first thing on his mind today," said Justin Tuck, who replaced Strahan at left end.

Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said Strahan gave no indication he wanted to play again when he visited training camp in Albany, N.Y., less than two weeks ago.

"He has not been bouncing back and forth like Favre," Cofield said. "He has been pretty happy. We saw him up here and he said he missed it but he was content. He has decided to go on to the next phase of his life so I don't look too strongly into that (him playing again)."

Danny Clark, a nine-year veteran who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, will move from weakside linebacker to the strong side to replace Kiwanuka. Gerris Wilkinson will start at weakside linebacker.

Kiwanuka started nine games at defensive end as a rookie and had four sacks. He played in 10 games last season at strongside linebacker before breaking his leg against Detroit in November. The former Boston College product played linebacker in running situations last season, but was switched to the line in passing situations.

"It is something that he, all of us, really wanted, but obviously we didn't want these circumstances for him to get back," Tuck said of Kiwanuka, who is known as 'Kiwi' to teammates. "It is a good thing for him. It is a good thing for this team. He is definitely a D-lineman at heart, and hopefully he can just come back in and not miss a beat."

Many of the defensive players got a chance to talk to Umenyiora on Monday. The two-time Pro Bowler tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee and is scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

"His spirits are still high," Tuck said. "He is another one of those infectious personalities, so his personality and his mind-state are always going to be at the utmost highest, so I am not worried about him on that point."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/giants/2008-08-25-giants_N.htm

Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

Page 2 of 2Agent: Giants have reached out to Michael Strahan - USATODAY.com

8/26/2008http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Agent%3A+Giants+have...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Source: Bengals' Johnson injured labrum but hopes to play

ESPN.com news services It appears that Chad Johnson's injury is a little more serious than the Cincinnati Bengals originally said.

A source told ESPN.com's John Clayton on Monday that the wide receiver has a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. The team had said the injury, which occurred in a preseason game on Aug. 17, was a sprained shoulder.

The source said that Johnson is expected to wear a harness but may be able to avoid surgery and play this season. The same source said that Browns tight end Kellen Winslow played last season with a similar injury.

Johnson, who had 93 catches for 1,440 yards and eight touchdowns last season, landed awkwardly in the game against Detroit and was in obvious pain. He was examined on the field before heading to the locker room. The team initially said that X-rays and an MRI were negative.

Johnson had lobbied for a trade during the offseason but eventually backed off and reported to training camp. He was limited, however, while recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.

Senior writer John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

ESPN.com: Help | PR Media Kit | Sales Media Kit | Report a Bug | Contact Us | News Archive | Site Map | ESPN Shop | Jobs at ESPN | Supplier Information ©2008 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved.

ESPN.com: NFL Training Camp 2008

[Print without

images]

Page 1 of 1ESPN.com - Source: Bengals' Johnson injured labrum but hopes to play

8/26/2008http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3553260&type=story

rooneys meet with goodell again about...

Documents