If you were making plans to watch Super Bowl XLII on February 3, you should adjust your schedule because the game has been moved to one week from today, November 4, when Peyton Manning and the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (31-7 over Carolina today) host Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots (52-7 over Washington). I’ll go on and on about this game all week, but this is the Super Bowl, my friends. There will be no game bigger or better than this one — unless, of course, these two teams should meet again in the AFC playoffs in a couple months. That’s a distinct possibility, but why look ahead when this game has all the makings of an instant classic.

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NFL’s Elite Set the Stage: Colts vs. Pats Countdown Begins as Both Teams Roll

We’re just a couple days away from the historic first regular-season NFL game played outside of North America. The game between the Miami Dolphins and N.Y. Giants lacks a tremendous amount of excitement with the Dolphins coming in at 0-7. But Commissioner Roger Goodell made some interesting comments about digital media today at “Sport 2020 – The Changing Face of the Global Sports Industry” conference from the Landmark Hotel in London:

“We will connect with more fans globally through digital media. Digital media expands the potential for communicating about our game and with our fans. The Internet is the new town square, a place for fans across the globe to gather and enjoy the NFL. I participated in a session at Google’s headquarters in California earlier this month, appropriately titled ‘Sports of the 21st Century, Sports and Fans – A New Connection.’ We discussed how this is the golden age for the fan. It’s a great time to be a sports fan with more points of contact than ever. It’s a self-service, on-demand environment with fans connecting on their own terms. They can get information when and how they want it. That changes our business model dramatically. Thanks to new technology, we can bring fans closer to football and deepen their interest in the game.”

Personally, I’m getting almost all of my football information online, mostly via the 32 NFL teams’ Media Web sites. And when I’m sitting in the press box at Buffalo Bills games, I still have the NFL.com Game Center on my laptop screen to double check plays, yardages and running stats. And when I venture outside of football as a fan of the NBA or PGA Tour, I look online first. It’s just not as common as it used to be to get last night’s scores in the morning paper. In fact, you probably got last night’s scores … last night.

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NFL Commissioner Hypes Digital Media

With over 2,300 all-purpose yards and a single-season record 31 touchdowns, LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers was honored as the 2006 NFL MVP. And due to his many charitable efforts and off-the-field activities, LT was also co-recipient of the Walter Payton NFL Man-of-the-Year Award along with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Furthermore, he set several league records, including the single-season scoring record and reaching 100 career touchdowns faster than anyone in history.

This season, LT has his eyes on yet another NFL milestone. By rushing for 1,200 yards, he can match Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson for the most consecutive seasons of 1,200 or more rushing yards to start a career. LT currently has six such seasons, one less than Dickerson’s record of seven.

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LaDainian Tomlinson Eyes NFL Milestone

One of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, New England Patriots DB Asante Samuel, returned to his team yesterday, ending a month-long holdout. The Patriots applied the franchise tag to Asante in February, guaranteeing him a one-year, $7.79 million contract. But it prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. He missed much of training camp when he and the Pats failed to agree on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline. After that date, he could only re-sign with the Patriots for one year. And while the ink is not dry on this contract yet, Asante was at Pats headquarters getting a physical yesterday and is expected to be at practice today. I guess Asante sucked it up and realized nearly $8 million to play for the Pats this year wasn’t so bad, even if there was no guarantee on his football future beyond 2007. His agent, Alonzo Shavers, declined to say whether the Patriots had gotten Asante to report by promising they would not apply the franchise tag to him again next year.

Asante’s return bolsters an already potent New England D. The Patriots’ starting defense has been sharp in the preseason. For example, last Friday, despite missing starting defensive ends Richard Seymour and Ty Warren, New England limited the Carolina Panther’s offensive starters to three-and-outs on three of the their first four possessions. Cornerback Randall Gay had replaced Asante in the starting lineup alongside Ellis Hobbs. And veteran free agent Tory James and rookie first-round draft pick Brandon Meriweather were the top reserves. The Patriots’ defensive backfield is now fully loaded and I continue to name the Pats as my Super Bowl favorite.

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Asante Samuel Reports to Patriots

After drafting JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders assumed their quarterbacking questions had been answered. They had found the face of their franchise. Three games into the preseason, they still don’t know who their starting QB will be.

With JaMarcus still at an impasse in contract talks, Daunte Culpepper, Josh McCown and Andrew Walter (in no particular order) have been given the chance to win the starting spot. Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin said:

“This competition, as I said a long time ago, it’s going to be about guys that make the right decisions. It’s not going to be about the biggest arm or the best stats. It’s going to be about the guys that make the right decision, put us in position to score and don’t give the ball to the other team.”

Daunte Culpepper is the obvious choice. He seems to be 100% healthy and if he can clean up a few botched snaps, he’s been getting the job done (112.2 QB rating, three TDs, no INTs). He also has the most experience. Josh McCown and Andrew Walter are decent backups in this league. But not starting quarterbacks.

What disappoints me the most about the Raiders’ QB situation is JaMarcus’ absence. He’s missing out on a tremendous opportunity to learn from Daunte — a proven talent with a very similar makeup who could show him more than a thing or two about playing QB in the NFL. And JaMarcus is missing valuable practice and game reps with the rest of his teammates. In fact, even if he does sign a contract in the near future, I don’t see him getting on the field this season unless Daunte is injured and/or the Raiders are out of the playoff race.

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JaMarcus Russell Continues Holdout, Daunte Culpepper Takes Over Oakland Raiders

Just hours after Michael Vick filed a plea agreement, admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him indefinitely without pay. The Commissioner said he would review the suspension after all the legal proceedings had run their course.

Michael acknowledged bankrolling gambling on the dogfights, but denied placing bets himself or taking any of the winnings. He also admitted that dogs who were not worthy of the pit were killed “as a result of the collective efforts” of himself and two co-defendants. But Michael wasn’t about to squirm out of this situation by massaging the truth. Commissioner Goodell found no reason to wait until Monday when U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson will formally accept the plea and set a sentencing date likely to land Vick in prison for one to five years. The Commissioner said Michael’s admitted conduct was “not only illegal but also cruel and reprehensible.” Even if he didn’t personally place bets, Goodell said in a letter to Michael yesterday (in part):

“Your actions in funding the betting and your association with illegal gambling both violate the terms of your NFL player contract and expose you to corrupting influences in derogation of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of an NFL player. You have engaged in conduct detrimental to the welfare of the NFL and have violated the league’s personal conduct policy. You are now justifiably facing consequences for the decisions you made and the conduct in which you engaged. Your career, freedom and public standing are now in the most serious jeopardy. I hope that you will be able to learn from this difficult experience and emerge from it better prepared to act responsibly and to make the kinds of choices that are expected of a conscientious and law abiding citizen.”

Commissioner Goodell then gave the Falcons the green light to “assert any claims or remedies” to recover $22 million of Vick’s signing bonus from the 10-year, $130 million contract he signed in 2004. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank released the following statement:

“Today, Michael Vick admitted his guilt to very serious charges related to his earlier indictment. His admissions describe actions that are incomprehensible and unacceptable for a member of the National Football League and the Atlanta Falcons. We respect and support the Commissioner’s decision today to place Michael Vick on an indefinite suspension. As with other actions he has taken this year, the Commissioner is making a strong statement that conduct which tarnishes the good reputation of the NFL will not be tolerated. We hope that Michael will use this time, not only to further address his legal matters, but to take positive steps to improve his personal life.”

This is really a sad story in so many ways. Obviously, some dogs were brutally hurt and/or killed and that unfortunately can’t be reversed. And Michael Vick has probably thrown away his NFL career in the process. We know he’s going to jail so he’s also thrown away his freedom. And the despicable acts of cruelty he was involved in are shocking to those who knew him as a very different person. I’m not one of those people. I didn’t “know” Michael, but my only run-in with him left me with the impression that he was a thug. I’ve carried that opinion around for years and after having watched this whole situation play out (and a number of other “incidents”) over the years, I’m not one of those people who is surprised. What I do hope for is that Michael will emerge from this a truly changed and better person.

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NFL Suspends Michael Vick Indefinitely

Michael Vick filed his plea agreement in federal court today, admitting to conspiracy in a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls. He denied ever betting on the fights, though. He says he only bankrolled them. Then again, who knows what to believe because he initially said he had no involvement whatsoever. Michael is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court. He signed the plea agreement yesterday.

The statement said that when the kennel’s dogs won, the gambling proceeds were generally shared by Michael’s three co-defendants — Tony Taylor, Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips. It also stated that Michael was involved with the others in killing six to eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions last April. The dogs were executed by drowning or hanging. In the plea agreement, the government committed to recommending a sentence on the low end of the federal sentencing guideline range of a year to 18 months. However, the conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, and the judge is not bound by any recommendation or by the sentencing guidelines. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who will accept Michael’s plea, has a reputation for imposing stiff sentences, according to lawyers who have appeared in his court. Michael will not be sentenced for several months.

Michael’s attorney, Billy Martin, said MV will “speak to the public and explain his actions,” but he declined to say whether that will occur in court or in a news conference after Monday’s hearing. I’ll keep you “posted” (literally).

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Michael Vick Files Plea in Federal Court

Tiki Barber, the much-ballyhooed and recently anointed (for reasons unknown to me) god of football broadcasting, raised doubts about Eli Manning’s leadership ability in his outspoken debut as a halftime analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. He described Eli as being “uncomfortable” when it came to motivating teammates, adding:

“Sometimes it was almost comical the way he would say things.”

The next day, Eli shot back with:

“I could have questioned his leadership skills last year — calling out the coach, retiring in the middle of the season — that he’d lost the heart.”

Tiki was wrong in his outspoken comments about his former teammate. He began his “heralded” broadcasting career by making a jerk of himself. (Note: I didn’t say Tiki was a jerk. I said he made a jerk of himself — although he’s a couple comments away from being a jerk.)

I agree with Eli that Tiki made very bad timing of his comments in the middle of last season when he confirmed a report that he intended to leave the game at the end of the 2006 season. What was he thinking in making this kind of an announcement in the middle of a season? Tiki, who cares? Do what’s best for the team. Talk about lack of leadership ability. He later said his heart was no longer in the game and he blasted head coach Tom Coughlin on numerous occasions. This is a classic example of a spoiled athlete who was (is) only concerned with himself.

Eli Manning is a quiet, soft-spoken, low-key guy. That’s his nature. He can’t be something he’s not and for a former player to criticize him like this, essentially demeaning his true personality — it’s distasteful and in very poor judgement. I realize Tiki has joined “the dark side” (as many NFL players refer to the mainstream media), but this seemed entirely inappropriate.

Eli would later say:

“I’m fine talking with Tiki. If I see him, I’ll talk to him. I’ll be friendly to him. I’m not trying to start something. That’s just the deal. It happened. Hopefully, when we see each other — and we will — it won’t be awkward, because I don’t want it to be.”

That’s taking the high road and I respect Eli for handling the situation the right way. As for Tiki, I hope he adjusts his method of halftime analysis.

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War of Words: Tiki Barber and Eli Manning

Cleveland Browns rookie QB Brady Quinn looked sharp in his preseason debut against the Detroit Lions last night. After missing 11 days of training camp, Brady had a lot of catching up to do. He didn’t play in the first preseason game. And although he entered this game late in the 4th quarter, he nearly rallied the Browns to victory with two late touchdown passes. His final stats were 13-of-20 for 155 yards in the final 9:20. Before Browns’ fans get too excited, though, we must remember a couple things:

• Brady was playing with a limited offensive playbook
• He was not playing against the Lions’ first-teamers (of course, he did not have a first-team supporting case, either).

Brady sounded cautiously optimistic after the game:

“I was trying to do my best to stay calm. It felt good to cross the lines and play. Hopefully I’ll get better and better. I’d been holding a clipboard for one game and three quarters. It’s been tough to wait it out.”

So, I’d say — all things considered — a job well-done. It will be interesting to see if Brady gets more playing time next weekend at Denver. I still believe Derek Anderson (6 of 8 for 65 yards and a pick against the Lions) holds the upper hand in this three-QB race (with Charlie Frye being the third quarterback; Ken Dorsey most likely will be the odd-man-out), but Brady will ultimately be the starter. It’s just a matter of when.

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Brady Quinn Sharp in Preseason Debut

Fellow Pitt grad Darrelle Revis ended his lengthy holdout with the New York Jets and signed a six-year, $36 million contract. The paperwork was 47 pages long and was described by his agent as “very complicated,” “sophisticated,” and “unique.” Like any rookie who signs late, Darrelle is way behind. He missed 22 practices — including yesterday’s single practice — and the team’s preseason opener last Friday against Atlanta. But he’s expected to step in and help fill one of the Jets’ biggest needs. Veteran Andre Dyson started every game at left cornerback until he was injured in Week 15 last year, but the right side of the secondary was a different story. Justin Miller, David Barrett, Hank Poteat and rookie Drew Coleman all took turns in the starting lineup. Justin was having a good camp in Darrelle’s absence, but he’s been sidelined since injuring a hamstring in a team scrimmage August 5. He struggled with coverage in his first two NFL seasons, despite making the Pro Bowl last season as a kick returner. The rest of the guys — Barrett, Poteat and Coleman — they’re all back, but none is viewed as a long-term solution. Darrelle Revis is. And now as an official member of the Jets, he can start to prove why.

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Darrelle Revis Ends Holdout, Signs Six-Year Deal With N.Y. Jets