Mic Jagger's In The Super Bowl : Rolling Stones Are The Halftime Act For Super Bowl XL

This news was annouced on the ABC Monday Night Football Telecast of the Steelers - Colts Game this evening.

Steve Mariucci Fired; No Longer Lions Head Coach - Will The Lions Interview Black Coaches This Time?

Maybe The Lions will finally consider black head coaching candidates -- and hire one! Ironically, Mariucci was let go with two years remaining on his five-year contract, just as was Notre Dame Head Coach Tyrone Willingham in 2004.

On a personal note, I think Mariucci is a fine person -- I met him while I was Economic Advisor to Oakland Mayor Elihu M. Harris -- and a keen offensive mind. He deserves a better organization (the Lions environment was not the best) to work in as a head coach or offensive coordinator.

Mariucci out as Lions' coach - Associated Press


ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Steve Mariucci came to the Detroit Lions with a winning NFL record, a penchant for offense and raised expectations.

He leaves as just another in a long list of coaching failures.

At one point, Lions head coach Steve Mariucci did have fans on his side. He posted a 77 percent approval rating after a 17-3 Week 1 win over division rival Green Bay. Since then, however, the ratings show a displeased Detroit SportsNation contingent.
Mariucci's Lions did not win again until Week 5 and 7, when he posted ratings of 55 percent and 52 percent, respectively. Week 7 was the last time Mariucci received better than a 50 percent weekly rating. Even after the Lions' most recent win in Week 10, Mariucci only received a 38 percent rating. Take away Weeks 1, 5 and 7 and Mariucci never rose above a 38 percent rating.

He finished his tenure as Lions head coach with an 18 percent approval rating.

After two-plus seasons and a 15-28 record, Mariucci was fired Monday after he was unable to turn around a franchise with one playoff victory since 1957.

The Lions promoted defensive coordinator Dick Jauron to succeed him on an interim basis.

"We started off this season with high expectations," team president Matt Millen said. "We have underachieved as a football team."

Millen hired both Mariucci and his predecessor, Marty Mornhinweg, and drafted or signed most of the current players. Since Millen took over in 2001, Detroit is an NFL-worst 20-55.

Despite the results, the former NFL linebacker and TV analyst was given a five-year extension before this season.

Millen said he accepts accountability for Detroit's record during his four-plus seasons, but said a coaching change was necessary.

"This is a brutal business and at times, good people suffer a cruel fate," he said.

Millen also fired offensive line coach Pat Morris and tight ends coach Andy Sugarman, and demoted Ted Tollner from offensive coordinator to tight ends coach. Greg Olson will call plays as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, starting Sunday at home against Minnesota.

Jauron said his first inclination was to not accept the job.

"It's hard for me to stand up here in this position because Steve is a friend," said Jauron, who had a 35-46 record as Chicago's head coach from 1999-2003.

After Detroit lost 27-7 to Atlanta on Thanksgiving to fall to 4-7, reports swirled that the team was considering firing Mariucci. When Mariucci was not dismissed during the weekend, some thought his job was safe for the final five games of the regular season.

"I was angry after that game," Millen said. "It was disturbing to watch and I didn't want to make a decision based on anger. We wanted to take our time, go through it logically, and think everything through."

The Lions have lost four of five games since a solid start put them atop the NFC North with the Chicago Bears. The team has collapsed on and off the field with players failing to produce and some bickering with one another and questioning the coaches' game plans.

Offensive tackle Jeff Backus said players were not notified of the firing until a previously scheduled team meeting was held Monday night.

"Something had to give, I guess," Backus told The Associated Press. "It's not my job to judge whether Mariucci did a good job or bad job, but we're in a bottom-line business and our bottom line hasn't been very good."

Mariucci has more than two years remaining on the $25 million contract he signed in 2003. The Michigan native came to the Lions from San Francisco, where he was fired with a 60-43 record over six seasons.

Mariucci was cut some slack in the past because the team he inherited was crafted by Millen, but expectations were high heading into his third season.

"If we win 10 or 11 ballgames and make the playoffs, it would make us happy and make the fans happy," Mariucci said before the season.

Mariucci's agent, Gary O'Hagan, declined comment when reached Monday night.

Detroit's quarterback situation also hurt Mariucci's chances for success.

Joey Harrington, the third overall pick in 2002, has failed to be consistent throughout his career. The Lions signed 35-year-old Jeff Garcia to push or replace Harrington, but he has been nagged by injuries and an inability to throw deep passes.

The Lions' porous offensive line has added to their passing- and running-game woes while a decent defense has been hampered by being on the field too long, and by injuries.

Millen, who was fined $200,000 by the NFL because he didn't follow the NFL's minority hiring policy when he hired Mariucci, said he would follow league guidelines when he searches for a permanent coach.

Jauron, Detroit's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, was fired in 2003 after four losing seasons in five years with the Bears. He was selected as NFL coach of the year during his lone winning season in Chicago.

"We need to take these next five weeks, and we need to play ... and see what we can get out of it," Jauron said. "I don't have plans other than the next game."

Jauron began his NFL career as a fourth-round pick of the Lions in 1973 after starring at Yale. The defensive back and kick returner, who played in the 1975 Pro Bowl, spent his first five seasons in Detroit.

USC v. UCLA This Saturday; Tickets For Up to $4,500 each - Paris Hillton Should Take Michael Irvin

Click on the post title above as it's a link to the prices of tickets for the UCLA v. USC game. Then scroll down and you will see the asking prices jump -- to $4,500.

The cheapest ticket is $75 -- get that one -- and is in Section 27 a distance from the end zone and up in the stands. The vast majority of tickets available in the secondary ticket market represented here are between $100 and $300, and then there are the $1,000 set, which are in various areas, including four in Section 8 on the 25 yard line.

The most expensive -- $4,500 each -- set of tickets is also in Section 8 and between the 20 and 30 yard line. Yes, that's not a misprint.

The set of tickets closest to the 50 yard line are in Section 7 and going for $2,000.

Why the difference? It's just that someone out there thinks that someone else will want to part with half the cost of a cheap Honda Civic just to see a football game from a position not on mid-field and 45 rows up, so they post them for sale. Right; forget it.

It's indicative of the importance of this game as undefeated USC attempts to make it's winning streak longer than the time it took to unmask Deep Throat (just kidding), and against UCLA, which has only lost one -- one game -- this year. One could make a good argument that this is the real National Championship Game.

Given that Notre Dame lost two -- two games -- it's amazing the Fighting Irish are ranked #7 and UCLA is at #11. Whatever the bowl matchup, I'll bet the Notre Dame Ticket market doesn't touch the expense of this one.

Coors' Beer "Twins" Target of Inquiry - Does This Mean No More "Sex and Beer" Ads?

According to the Oakland Tribune:
Consumers offended by scantily clad beer babes or predominant placement of beer in PG-13 flicks will have someone new to appeal to come Jan. 1.
The Beer Institute, a trade and lobbying group whose membership includes Golden-based Coors Brewing Co., will appoint a panel to encourage compliance with advertising standards beginning Jan. 1.

Coors built a years-long campaign around its bikini-clad blond twins and is currently partnering with Maxim to sponsor a nationwide "Hunt for Hotties."

The Beer Institute's five-member panel will hear appeals from consumers who believe that beer companies haven't addressed their advertising issues, including complaints that beer ads violate decency standards or purposely appeal to those under 21.

The institute boasts about 100 brewer members from giants such as Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors to small regional beer companies including Fort Collins-based New Belgium, said institute President Jeff Becker.

"What we want to provide is an opportunity for consumers who have complained and don't agree with the brewer's response," he said.

Under the new program, the institute appoints a five-member panel, any three of whom would hear consumer complaints and then recommend what, if any, action the brewer should take, Becker said.

The five panel members would be financially independent of both the institute and its membership, he said, and would address complaints only after the companies had been given a chance to fix the problem.

Part of the criteria the panel will use is the institute's six-page Advertising and Marketing Code, a voluntary guideline for members concerned about not crossing a line with their ads.

Of particular concern is that they market to a legal beer-buying audience and not to those under 21. Currently, the code calls for beer companies to only advertise products to audiences in which 70 percent or more are at least 21.

Coors has its own, similar code in place and already gets help from a third party. It uses "21 means 21" as a slogan in its current ads.

Detroit Lions Reportedly Considering Firing Coach Maricci - Mistake: Let Go of Off Cordinator Ted Tollner First and Hire Bengals Hue Jackson

Detroit Lions President and GM Matt Millen seems to make managerial decisions based on emotions first. He hired his friend Marty Moorningweg before bringing in Steve Mariucci and without interviewing a single black coaching candidate.

Even though Mariucci's record has not proven worthy of Millen's actions, he is a good coach. The problem is the change in the offense this season. Offensive Coordinator Ted Tollner -- hired to replace the retired Sherman Lewis -- has not taken true advantage of the personel the Lions have. They should replace him and bring in the one person who has had the most experience in all of today's state of the art offenses: Cincinnati Bengals Receivers Coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson was offensive coordinator under Mariucci at Cal and then at USC, and has served in the same post with the Washington Redskins under Steve Spurrier. He has the most passing game knoweldge and player relationships of anyone. Give him a shot and let go of Tollner.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch Upholds Suspension of Terrell Owens

The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- Terrell Owens' season is effectively over after an arbitrator ruled today that the Philadelphia Eagles were justified in suspending him for four games.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch wrote that the Eagles clearly proved that the suspension was justified, and were within their right to pay their All-Pro receiver but not allow him to return "due to the nature of his conduct and its destructive and continuing threat to the team."

The Eagles did not immediately comment after the decision was announced.

"We are pleased that the arbitrator has upheld the right of a club to suspend a player for conduct detrimental to the club," said Harold Henderson, the NFL's head of labor relations. "The ruling makes clear that Terrell Owens and his agent engaged in conduct that was disruptive to the Eagles and that coach Reid's decision to suspend the player was appropriate."

Bloch heard more than 13 hours of testimony last week. Owens' side argued the penalty is excessive and the Eagles' decision to deactivate him is too severe. Owens wanted to be reinstated to the Eagles or released so he can sign with another team.

Owens was suspended Nov. 5 after he again criticized quarterback Donovan McNabb, called the organization "classless" and fought with former teammate Hugh Douglas, who serves as team "ambassador."

Two days later, the Eagles extended the suspension to four games and told Owens not to return. The reigning conference champions are 0-3 without Owens and 4-6 overall, last in the NFC East.

Owens has five years remaining on a seven-year, $48.97 million contract that he signed when he came to Philadelphia in March 2004. His problems started when he demanded a new contract after an outstanding season in which he caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl.

With Owens, the Eagles are 17-5 over two seasons. Without him, they're 2-5, including two meaningless losses and two playoff wins.

Eagles on Signed Running Back Brian Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday signed running back Brian Westbrook to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2010 season and is worth slightly less than $25 million. It includes bonuses between $9 million and $10 million. This spring, Westbrook signed a one-year restricted free agent qualifying offer for $1.43 million.