Ben Maller's rumors and notes
by FOXSports.com
NFL RUMORS AND NOTES
T.O. frustrated with Dallas Cowboys' offense
Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens said he's frustrated with his offensive numbers and that the style of offense is the cause of it. Owens spoke to former Cowboys player Deion Sanders in a taped interview on the NFL Network. He said he wants to win a championship with the Cowboys, but he also wants the ball. "For me to have the numbers that I have and not really being involved, it is discouraging," Owens said in the interview that aired Thursday night. "It is frustrating, but what can I do?" Owens has 40 catches for 505 yards with six touchdowns. He has one touchdown in the last four games and hasn't had more than 40 receiving yards since an Oct. 5 victory over Cincinnati. Starting quarterback Tony Romo missed three of the last four games with a fractured right pinkie. Owens has said if he complains about his role in the offense, he will be viewed as selfish, so he's tried to stay quiet. -- Dallas Morning News
Browns fan recipient of message with implied profanity defends GM Savage for angry e-mail
Browns General Manager Phil Savage does not deserve to be punished or fired because of an angry e-mail he sent a fan after the 29-27 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, the recipient said Thursday. The two have since exchanged apologies. Brett, 33, who wishes to remain anonymous, had his own message for owner Randy Lerner and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Brett, a North Royalton native, has lived in Pittsburgh since 1999, working seven years at a record label before joining a radio station he did not want named. ''If he actually gets fired for that, I hope to God he doesn't,'' Brett said by telephone, ''I'd like Randy Lerner to call me. It shows Phil Savage has a passion for the game. That's what we need. If he does get fired over something like this, we need a new owner.'' As for Goodell, Brett said he delivered his plea during a television interview he did Thursday. ''I looked right into the camera and said, 'If Roger Goodell is watching this, you just reinstated Pacman Jones, you've got that cokehead Matt Jones still playing. You can't do anything to Phil Savage over this,'' Brett said. -- Akron Beacon Journal
MLB RUMORS AND NOTES
Source: Red Sox hot after Teixeira
One baseball source, familiar with the Red Sox' thinking this offseason, said the club's "lust" factor is very strong for Mark Teixeira, who was on the Georgia Tech sideline with Sox catcher Jason Varitek for last night's ACC football game against Miami in Atlanta. "For a team that liked J.D. Drew, they absolutely love Teixeira," said the source. The Sox will not be publicly prioritizing their free agent wish list in the coming weeks. But as the winter meetings approach early next month, expect the buzz about Teixeira to only get louder. -- Boston Herald
Report: Luis Castillo begs Mets not to trade him
The Post has learned, Luis Castillo requested an offseason meeting in which he implored Mets officials not to trade him and also pledged to re-dedicate himself to offseason training to assure he is in top condition next season. In the October meeting with GM Omar Minaya and top lieutenant Tony Bernazard, Castillo accepted responsibility for his out-of-shape, poor 2008 and stated a desire to make amends - in New York. Mets officials were pleased that Castillo did not want to flee from the problems. Instead, he stated a desire to play and win as a Met, and change the fans' booing opinion of him, as well. "He wanted to let the front office know that he was disappointed in how the year went, and promise to do everything he could to get in shape and be the kind of player he had been for 10 years," Minaya said. Minaya and Bernazard stressed in the meeting that Castillo must project a more positive demeanor, and that he cannot allow himself to show up in as poor shape this spring training as he did following knee surgery last year. The Mets' head trainer, Ray Ramirez, has been overseeing Castillo's offseason regimen. -- NY Post
NBA RUMORS AND NOTES
Sources: Knicks get Warriors Harrington
Knicks sources said a deal for Al Harrington was to go through late yesterday, but was delayed until today. A league conference call is scheduled for this morning that would bring the disgruntled Warriors forward to the Knicks, presumably for Malik Rose. A product of St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, N.J., Harrington has played in just five games this season. He was grounded by coach Don Nelson soon after stating publicly he wanted to be traded. Harrington has two years left on his deal--currently $9.3 million with $10M guaranteed on tap in 2009-10. Rose, attractive to the Warriors because of his expiring contract, is set to make $7.64 million this year. The deal can be made one-for-one because their salaries are within 25 percent (plus 100G) of each other.-- NY Post
Wolves coach Randy Wittman gets vote of confidence
Randy Wittman's coaching job is safe, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said. "If I worried about the short term, and I looked at the economy and all my companies, if I based things on that, then I'd fire all my presidents because they had a bad month," Taylor said. "I've been through ups and downs. You've got to be patient. I think Randy has prepared (the players) well. We've just got to get them some confidence. They're still young." The Timberwolves are 2-8 entering tonight's home game against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics, who include former Wolves Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell. "I learned a long time ago that you've got to be patient with this," Taylor said. "The last thing, when these guys are trying so hard and everybody wants to win, is for me to put undue pressure on them. That's not going to make it any better. They all know I want to win, but I also know that they want to win just as bad. "I thought we would probably have a better record. We played really good in every game for three quarters; we've just struggled in fourth quarters. We've done some really good things this year. The turnovers have been down, but when we've had them, they've been at critical times in the fourth quarter." Wittman has this season and next season remaining on a contract worth nearly $5 million. No shakeups are planned, Taylor said. -- Pioneer Press
NASCAR RUMORS AND NOTES
Jack Roush to keep core Sprint & Nationwide staff
Jack Roush, 66, is a human dynamo, but at the bottom of it all, he's first and foremost a decent human being. As NASCAR teams in the Charlotte, N.C., area continue layoffs while the Detroit Three plead their case to Washington, Jack said he would have to "displace" half a dozen employees involved with his test program as a result of NASCAR banning testing at its sanctioned tracks in 2009. But his core staff -- those involved with his Sprint Cup and Nationwide team operations at his race shop in Concord, N.C. -- "will remain intact," he said. "If we let our manufacturing base divide and fall, it won't be in America's best interests," Roush said. "We would be leaving America's best years behind us. We need to preserve this (auto) industry where people here and around the country make their living. If we don't, the taxpayers are going to carry a much heavier load." -- Detroit Free Press
Does NASCAR let some teams cheat?
Cheating became a very relevant topic of conversation at Homestead with Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, and the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Nationwide car winning championships. Knaus even brought it up seconds after his team won a historic third consecutive Cup title, making him the only crew chief to ever do that. NASCAR Competition Director John Darby came on the radio to congratulate Knaus, and Knaus replied that this was his first year to make it through the season without a suspension. "I realized after that, we hadn't gotten through tech yet," Knaus said later. JGR's No. 20, meanwhile, was penalized this season for sticking magnets under the gas pedal to fool horsepower tests. Conspiracy theorists will shout that NASCAR lets these teams cheat. But let's be honest here. What would NASCAR gain by letting the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 cheat? What would NASCAR gain by letting a Toyota team win the owner's championship? Neither Hendrick nor Toyota are fan darlings. -- Orlando Sentinel
ODD NOTES AND STUFF
NFL coach shows up to practice via parachute from 12,000 feet
Here's something you don't see every day at an NFL practice: the head coach arriving from the sky. That's what happened Thursday at Baptist Sports Park, as Titans Coach Jeff Fisher jumped from a helicopter with members of the 101st Airborne Parachute team and landed on the practice field. Four members of the parachute team jumped before Fisher, who was paired with another member. The jumps were made from about 12,000 feet. Players watched in amazement, not realizing one of the jumpers was Fisher until he closed in on them. "We didn't know what was going on. We saw the parachuters coming down and then we see Coach Fish," linebacker Stephen Tulloch said. "It is cool to have a coach like that. ... Everybody was excited. "To see him do that, it made practice that much more fun. We didn't know it was him, and then we saw his blue jacket and knew it was him.'' Asked about the jump after practice, Fisher declined to comment. Players said the coach used the jump to deliver a message to his 10-0 team about overcoming obstacles. One of the parachute team members is Sgt. Max Ramsey, who lost a leg while serving in Iraq. "He has been able to overcome that adversity and still do what he does,'' Tulloch said. "It shows us no matter what, we can accomplish what we want. That's what I took from it. ... It is unbelievable.''-- Tennessean
Wizards star Gilbert Arenas becomes third NBA player with wax figure
Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas became just the third NBA player to be sculpted from wax by Madame Tussauds, after Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Yao Ming will unveil his own figure shortly. "When they told me I was the third, I said, 'Third this year or third ever?' I was like: 'Why me? I haven't done anything special to be the third.' But it's an honor. It's unbelievable. "It's one of those feelings where every day of your life, from now until when you're old, you can come in here or New York of wherever they have it, there's going to be a statue of yourself. That's a great feeling." The figure, of course, looks remarkably like Arenas, right down to the tattoos, which peek out from under his jersey and shorts. -- Washington Post
COLLEGE SPORTS RUMORS AND NOTES
Georgia in no hurry to name Richt's replacement
Despite the growing trend, Georgia coach Mark Richt said he wasn't ready for Georgia to name him a successor-in-waiting. Richt, 48, said the Bulldogs haven't tabbed anyone to succeed him. "Maybe when I'm 55 or 60 … if I make it that long." "I can see where it makes sense for people to do that," Richt said. "Only time will tell if it will always turn out to be a successful decision or not. My guess is that the university doesn't absolutely have to keep the guy, but if they don't keep the guy, they're going to have to pay him. That guy's protected in that way where he feels comfortable staying. I would think universities feel like they still have the ability to go elsewhere if they choose to, but it's going to cost them. In the meantime, they keep their top coordinator." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clemson eyes Air Force's Calhoun, Illini OC
A fourth candidate has reportedly interviewed for Clemson's potential head coaching opening and another could be in the mix soon. The TigerIllustrated.com website reports that Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley interviewed with Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips November 7th near Detroit. Illinois played Western Michigan in the Motor City November 8th. Locksley, 38, is in his fourth season at Illinois. He also coaches the Illini quarterbacks. Illinois amassed more than 5,000 yards of total offense last season and has led the Big Ten in rushing the past two years. He's believed to be the first minority candidate to interview for the position. Meanwhile, the website reports that Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun, a former Jim Grobe assistant, will also likely be interviewed. -- WSPA-TV 7
Ben Maller can be heard weeknights on "The Third Shift on Fox" via the vast Fox Sports Radio Network. The show is broadcast live Monday-Friday from 2am till 6am (est). Check your local radio listenings for the FSR affiliate in your town, listen to XM Satellite Radio Channel No. 142 or via live streaming audio online at FoxSports.com/Radio. Say hi to Ben at myspace.com/benmaller. Interact with Ben's fans and talk sports on Ben Maller's forum Questions, comments and news tips can be sent to Ben via e mail at BigBen@Foxsports.com or Ben@BenMaller.com.
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