Jones, Henry, union leaders all meet with Goodell
Football Betting Lines
04/03/2007 -
NEW YORK (AP) -NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials met with Adam ``Pacman'' Jones Tuesday as the Tennessee Titans' cornerback attempted to avoid a long suspension following a series of arrests.
Goodell and his staff also met with Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Henry and members of the NFL Players Association executive board as he prepared a tougher policy on NFL players who violate the law.
Goodell has said he will announce his decision on suspensions or other disciplinary action before the draft on April 28 and perhaps in the next 10 days.
The NFL had no comment and lawyers for the players had no immediate response. The meeting with the players was held away from the NFL offices where six television cameras stationed themselves with no one to interview.
Goodell also met with Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA and other union officials as he tried to get a consensus for his policy. Upshaw also has been critical of player misbehavior.
Henry is one of nine Bengals who were arrested last season, leading to calls for a crackdown on player behavior. But Jones has become the focus for Goodell, who took over as commissioner in September and has been preoccupied by the issue almost from the start of his tenure.
``It went pretty good, to have the chance to meet the commissioner face to face,'' Henry told The Cincinnati Enquirer. ``I just wanted to explain my situation to the commissioner and move on. I told him I was learning from my mistakes and how to handle myself in a better manner.''
Since being drafted in April 2005, Jones has been arrested five times and questioned by police in 10 episodes. Last week, Las Vegas police recommended he be charged with a felony and two misdemeanors for his role in a Feb. 19 strip club fight that led to a triple shooting.
His lawyer, Manny Arora, did not return calls or e-mails from The Associated Press. However, he told the Nashville Tennessean on Monday: ``I fully expect him to be part of that team when the season kicks off in September.
However, Jones' former agent, Gary Wichard, told the AP that he thinks Goodell could be hard on Jones. ``In the commissioner's mind, he's trying to make a statement because the league needs this,'' Wichard said.
That seems to be the general consensus around the NFL - that the problems have gone too far. Henry, Jones' teammate at West Virginia, was suspended by Goodell for two games last season and could face more discipline after serving two days in a Kentucky jail for letting minors drink in a hotel room he had rented.
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AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker in Nashville contributed to this story.
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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds
Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.
The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.
The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.
Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.
MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:
Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)
Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)
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