Tag Archives: says
Report: Tyrann Mathieu says that he failed more than 10 NCAA drug tests
Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu is on a full rehabilitation kick in a life that was once complicated by substance abuse. A Heisman finalist after the 2011 season, Mathieu missed the Tigers’ 2012 season and was kicked off the team when he could not keep himself in line. He’s done a stint in rehab, worked with LSU alums and current NFL players Patrick Peterson and Corey Webster, and went to the scouting combine ready to answer all the questions that would be asked of him. Mathieu was honest, humble, and managed to put together a good enough combine workout to allay some of the fears NFL teams may have had about him.
Of course, once he got into the NFL’s multi-team pre-draft interview process, everything was going to come out — because the one thing that will kill you as a prospect with a troubled past is dishonesty. And as Mathieu rolls through a tour that has him checking in with a number of NFL teams, the full range of his previous dysfunction is apparent. According to a report from USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Mathieu told one NFL team that he failed at least 10 drug tests before he was booted off the LSU roster.
[Also: Mark Sanchez could be part of Darrelle Revis trade package]
“I quit counting at 10. I really don’t know.” said one NFL assistant coach to Bell regarding Mathieu’s response in one meeting room.
And this could actually work in Mathieu’s favor. As that same coach pointed out to Bell, such a record puts part of the burden on LSU to try and intervene.
“If he flunked 10 tests before they suspended him, it shows that he got no kind of help,” the coach told Bell.
But after the article was published, Mathieu contacted LSU and wanted to make it clear that his transgressions were his responsibility alone.
“It is irresponsible and shows a lack of integrity for anyone to disclose medical information regardless of how it was gathered. I would expect that conversations regarding my drug testing history during the course of my medical treatment would be private. LSU has a strong drug testing program and LSU went to great lengths to help me in my treatment and recovery. I understand that many people enjoy reading about the negative side of sports, but to publish those second-hand comments without being given a chance to address that comment prior to the publication of the article is irresponsible.”
Mathieu recently had a private workout with the Cincinnati Bengals, who have a pretty comprehensive history of taking risks on players with athletic ability despite their character dings.
“People misstep sometimes,” Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis told Bell. “It comes down to us having confidence that a person has turned a corner.”
Teams have different standards. There are some NFL teams who probably wouldn’t touch Mathieu with a 10-foot pole, given his past. Some organizations just don’t want those issues, and feel they cloud the player evaluation process to an unmanageable degree. Other teams (probably most teams) take it on a case-by-case basis. Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider once told me that the balance between the issues that can be dealt with, and those that will take a player off his boards, go to maturity and what a coaching staff will or will not deal with
[Also: Antoine Winfield headed to Seattle]
“There’s certain things that we just can’t bring into this building,” Schneider said last April, a few days before he selected West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin with the 15th pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Irvin didn’t present the complications that Mathieu does, but he had his own off-field issues to deal with before he could succeed. “There are certain things that we will not put up with, but there’s also certain things that are just college stuff that you sift through – and believe me, you sift through it.”
The Seahawks are one of the teams Mathieu is meeting with before the draft, and given Mathieu’s specific ability to play pass defense in multiple ways — and the NFL’s increasing reliance on nickel and dime sets — positional value will increase Mathieu’s stock no matter what kind of history he has. It’s a matter of the right NFL team seeing how it will all work.
“Every guy is treated independently,” Carroll said, bookending Schneider’s pre-draft response. “We look at the situation – just like we always do – and figure the guys out, figure where they fit in and how we can make good use of the guys as they add to the program. It’s a big concern. The whole makeup of the kid – every aspect is looked at. Our information is deep and we need to make good use of it, which we have. But every guy is treated independently.”
That will help Tyrann Mathieu in a long road back. Of course, any missteps from here on out could be fatal blows to his NFL future.
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Soft-porn TV star refuses to wear electronic tag, says career-threatening
Dalzell's self-presentation on Twitter.
(Credit: Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
I have never presented a pornographic show on television, but I imagine it’s quite stressful.
The normal scrutiny afforded TV personalities is surely doubled when your show has carnality at its core.
It is, then, understandable why a 19-year-old adult TV presenter, Sophie Dalzell, was mortified on being told by a judge that she must wear an electronic tag on her ankle.
“You can’t do that to me!” she cried. “No one can do that to me!”
Actually, I did make that whole quote up. What transpired in reality was that she refused to wear the tag and had to go back to court.
As the Daily Mail reports, she had previously been found guilty of criminal damage upon the driver of a BMW (and his car) and had been remiss in carrying out her community service order.
So a security firm came to her house to fit her with the tag, which she was to wear for 8 weeks.
Dalzell, from Manchester, England, insisted that she couldn’t possibly allow this, as it would ruin her looks. She would, so surely, be fired from a job that requires perfection at all times.
You will wish to apply… [Read more]
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Federal Aviation Administration says Android plane hijacking isn’t possible
On Thursday, a man named Hugo Tesco demonstrated at the Hack in a Box security conference a way to hijack an airplane using an Android device – and nothing else. Obviously, such a claim drew quite a bit of attention, including from the Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Administration, both of which have come forward with statements that it simply isn’t possible.
According to Tesco, an airplane could be hijacked because two aviation systems, the Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast and the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, are unauthenticated and unencrypted. He acquired flight code software off eBay and a radio transmitter, and got to work with creating his plane hijacking method.
Tesco used the code to find vulnerabilities in virtual aircraft, and via these problems he used his Android app called PlaneSploit to take control of a Boeing jet in autopilot mode. Rockwell Collins, which is a company that make the systems that were hijacked, says the problem is that Tesco is using a virtual plane, and that such a method wouldn’t work with a real aircraft. The FAA agrees, publishing a statement that says:
“The FAA is aware that a German information technology consultant has alleged he has detected a security issue with the Honeywell NZ-2000 Flight Management System (FMS) using only a desktop computer … The described technique cannot engage or control the aircraft’s autopilot system using the FMS or prevent a pilot from overriding the autopilot. Therefore, a hacker cannot obtain ‘full control of an aircraft’ as the technology consultant has claimed.”
[via The Register]
Federal Aviation Administration says Android plane hijacking isn’t possible is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
SlashGear
Redskins WR Garcon Says He May Not Be 100 Percent For 2013
Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon said in a televised interview Thursday that he’ll be sufficiently healthy to play for the Redskins in the 2013 season but he still might not be at full capacity.
“I’ll be healthy enough to play,” Garcon said during an appearance on the NFL Network, according to a transcript provided by the league-owned TV channel. “I can’t say I’ll be 100 percent, but I’ll be back out there helping the team in any way possible.”
Garcon said previously he would not undergo surgery for the torn ligament near the second toe in his right foot that plagued him last season. He said during Thursday’s TV appearance that it’s unclear how fully he will participate in offseason practices with the Redskins.
“I’ll be rehabbing and doing whatever I’m able to do,” Garcon said. “The trainers will let me know and we won’t try to win a Super Bowl in April, but we’ll try to move ahead.”
Garcon has said repeatedly since hurting his foot last season that he wanted to avoid surgery, in part because he’d been given no guarantees by doctors that surgery would solve the problem. He played 10 of the Redskins’ 16 regular season games last season, finishing with 44 catches for 633 yards and four touchdowns.
Yahoo seeks AOL’s Ned Brody despite possible legal action says sources
AOL‘s recently-resigned sales executive Ned Brody has reportedly received an offer from Yahoo, which is trying to reel him in despite possible legal action from his former employer. This information comes from sources who are said to be “close to the situation,” who say it is tricky because Brody is currently under a non-compete order for 12 months.
Although the sources say that Brody has already resigned, it is worth noting that AOL still has him listed on its corporate leadership page. The sources are not certain that the former AOL employee has accepted Yahoo’s job offer, but report that the salary is of a generous nature, and word has it Yahoo will shell out cash to keep Brody on board with the company during his non-compete months – essentially paying him to take a long vacation.
Despite that attempt to take advantage of a loophole that may not exist in the non-compete, the sources say AOL has warned Yahoo it may take legal action in response. However, the former employer has not made any attempts to keep Brody on board, with reasons being cited as an offer from Yahoo that is too large for it to counter. The amount of that offer, however, is not known at this time.
The slot Brody would fill previously belonged to Ross Levinsohn, who left Yahoo in early 2012, leaving a hole in the company that has been temporarily filled by Mark Ellis and Peter Foster, both Vice Presidents of different divisions of Yahoo’s business. Despite the duration it has been without a permanent replacement, such a position is one of importance to the company, and should Brody accept its offer, he’ll become an integral part of helping boost Yahoo.
[via AllThingsD]
Yahoo seeks AOL’s Ned Brody despite possible legal action says sources is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
SlashGear
Bills QB Kevin Kolb says he’s there ‘to win a Super Bowl’
Kevin Kolb officially joined the Buffalo Bills on Monday, signing a two-year contract and stating that he’s in western New York to win a Super Bowl.
“I am here to win a Super Bowl. Period,” Kolb said during his introductory press conference. “There are very limited opportunities in this league. I have been lucky enough to have a few of them. Hopefully have another one here and plan on taking 100 percent care of that and making sure I do my part to play at the highest level.”
Kolb joins the Bills, who haven’t made the playoffs since 1999, after the previous two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Kolb’s stint in Arizona will likely be remembered more for his earnings ($ 20.5 million) and price to acquire (2012 second-round pick, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) than his on-field performance. Kolb completed 58.5 percent of 436 pass attempts for 3,124 yards with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, missing 17 games due to various injuries.
On Monday, Kolb addressed his injury history.
“Well honestly I think a lot of it is luck or fluky, but if it ever does happen again you still want to say, ‘I did everything I could possible to make sure’,” said Kolb. “So eating right, working right, 100 percent consistency off the field and being disciplined with certain habits. All of that comes full circle whenever you have been injured a couple times in a row. I am just going to cover all of my bases. You cannot help it if you go out there and break four ribs. We all know how that turned out. I am just going to make sure I do everything in my power to make sure I do everything I can.”
The Cardinals released Kolb to avoid paying a $ 2 million roster bonus on March 16. The quarterback was scheduled to earn $ 9 million in base salary and had a $ 500,000 workout bonus, which would have brought his 2013 cash compensation to $ 11.5 million. Kolb said that stuff “behind the scenes” were behind his release, which didn’t catch him totally by surprise.
“Without going into too much detail, I was not totally shocked when it happened because I’m an always plan for the worst and expect the best kind of guy,” Kolb said. “That is how we all should handle things, but there was a bit of surprise there when it happened. Even though a lot of arrows pointed in that direction. There were certain things being said that I tried to believe, but at the same time I tried to cover all my bases as well. That is about the best way to put it.”
According to a source with knowledge of Kolb’s two-year deal with the Bills, the quarterback is scheduled to earn $ 3 million in 2013.
Kolb received a $ 1 million signing bonus, which is the only portion of the contract that is guaranteed. Kolb is scheduled to earn $ 1.65 million in base salary, a $ 250,000 roster bonus and has a $ 100,000 workout bonus. Kolb’s first-year cap hit is $ 2.5 million, slightly higher than the $ 2.25 million cap hit of Tarvaris Jackson, who will be competing with Kolb for the starting job.
In 2014, Kolb is scheduled to earn $ 2 million in base salary with a $ 1 million roster bonus and $ 100,000 workout bonus. Though Kolb can earn an escalator to his 2014 salary, the base value of his contract with the Bills is $ 6.1 million.
iPhone 5S to offer multiple screen sizes, analyst says
(Credit: CNET)
iPhone 5S buyers could have their choice of screen size, according to Topeka analyst Brian White.
Citing information from a meeting with a “tech-supply chain company,” White said today he believes Apple will unveil the iPhone 5S in at least two or possibly three different screen sizes.
“We believe Apple is coming around to the fact that one size per iPhone release does not work for everyone, and offering consumers an option has the potential to expand the company’s market share,” White said in an investors note released today.
The analyst didn’t specify or even speculate which screen sizes might be available. The iPhone 5 sports a display size of 4 inches, a boost from the 3.5-inch screen found in previous models.
This isn’t the first time White has pitched this prediction. In January, the analyst cited sources who claimed the next iPhone might be offered in different screen sizes as well as different colors.
Let’s play with the assumption that Apple considers three different screen sizes for the next iPhone.
One model would likely adopt a size larger than 4 inches. That could prove tempting to consumers who might otherwise gravitate to larger-screen An… [Read more]
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Crave: gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. – CNET
DeMarcus Ware says it’s ‘put up or shut up’ time for Tony Romo
Dallas Cowboys linebacker-turned-defensive end DeMarcus Ware is happy quarterback Tony Romo received his long-term extension, but the seven-time Pro Bowler would like to see Romo step up and take the team to the next level.
“I feel like everybody is deserving to whatever is given to him, but at the end of the day, to me it’s put up or shut up,” Romo said during a Thursday appearance on SiriusXM radio (via the Dallas Morning News). “I’m just being straight-up honest with you. Get out there and be productive, and that’s with any player. Whatever they get, they’re deserving of it. You just got to get out there and play and I know he can be and will be the quarterback that is going to be the quarterback that is going to take us to the next level.”
It’s hard to argue with Ware, who has certainly lived up to the six-year, $ 78 million extension he signed midway through the 2009 season. Ware led the NFL in sacks with 15.5 in 2010, posted 19.5 sacks in 2011 and battled through injuries to lead the Cowboys with 11.5 sacks last season.
The pressure will certainly be on Romo the next two seasons.
According to a source with knowledge of the details of Romo’s extension, his 2013 cash compensation has more than doubled, going from $ 11.5 million in his previous deal to $ 26.5 million, mostly through a $ 25 million signing bonus. The increase can be attributed to Romo holding all the leverage in contract negotiations with the Cowboys, who needed cap space to continue building their roster and were unable to use the franchise tag on Romo once his previous contract voided after the 2013 season. Romo had additional leverage to get an extension done this offseason as previous restructures of his contract to clear cap space would have forced the Cowboys to carry $ 8.181 million in “dead money” from Romo’s signing bonuses on their 2014 cap, even if the quarterback was playing elsewhere.
Romo is due $ 13.5 million in fully guaranteed base salary in 2014 and has a $ 21.773 million cap figure. Romo’s cap number is scheduled to increase to $ 25.273 million in 2015. Romo has a $ 17 million base salary in 2015 and currently $ 15 million of that salary is guaranteed for injury only. Half of that injury only guarantee — $ 7.5 million — will become fully guaranteed if Romo is on the Cowboys’ roster on the third day of the 2014 league year, with the remaining $ 7.5 million becoming fully guaranteed if Romo is on the Cowboys’ roster on the third day of the 2015 league year.
Getting back to Ware, the 2005 first-round pick is looking forward to a more simpler role as the team moves to a 4-3 defense, in which Ware will play defensive end.
“It’s a 4-3. It’s maybe a little bit more simpler for guys,” said Ware. “I just have one job now, getting to the quarterback. Holding the edge is still the same like the 3-4, but the cornerbacks can be a little bit more diverse in knowing what’s going and maybe being a little bit more aggressive can create a little bit more productivity.”
Giants CB Aaron Ross says season playing for Jaguars was like a ‘paid vacation’
Cornerback Aaron Ross spent five of his first six seasons in the National Football League with the New York Giants before parlaying his most productive season in the NFL (four interceptions, 12 passes defensed) into a three-year, $ 9.75 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ross started nine of 14 games with the Jaguars, recording 46 tackles, three passes defensed and zero interceptions while playing in less than 60 percent of the defensive snaps for a Jaguars team that would finish the season with a 2-14 record. The Jaguars released Ross after the season and the veteran is back with the Giants, who signed the 2007 first-round pick out of Texas to a one-year, “minimum salary benefit” deal worth $ 780,000, of which just his $ 65,000 signing bonus is guaranteed.
While Ross says that he doesn’t regret signing with the Jaguars last offseason, he’s glad to be back in New York and jokingly referred to his stint in Jacksonville as a “paid vacation”.
“It was a nice paid vacation to Florida,” Ross said of his season in Jacksonville during a Friday morning appearance on “NFL AM” on the NFL Network (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com).
While Ross and Co. laughed about the situation, there were likely few chuckles emanating from Jaguars headquarters. The Jaguars paid Ross over $ 2.6 million last season and treated the newcomer like family, giving him a few days off during training camp so he could travel to London to watch his wife, sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross, win a gold medal in the Olympics.
Ross, whose five-year rookie contract had a maximum value of $ 13.5 million, admitted that signing with the Jaguars was motivated by finances.
“I had to think about the family, setting us up long-term, so of course the money comes to mind,” Ross said. “But winning is everything, man. It takes the joy away when you’re losing, and the only thing to get you through it is the paycheck when you’re losing.”
It could be argued that Ross played as if he were on leave in 2012 — he was Pro Football Focus’ 89th-ranked cornerback last season.
AMD Radeon HD 7990 says hello, plays a bit of Battlefield 4 at GDC
Gamers were down-right spoiled at this year’s GDC with a full 17 minutes of beautiful Battlefield 4 in-game footage. Minds blown, AMD took responsibility for the part it played in the mess, admitting the demo was running on its Radeon HD 7990 graphics card. It’s the first time the company’s confirmed the existence of the long-fabled card, and went as far as calling the case-busting monster “the world’s fastest.” All we know is the card combines two of the HD 7970′s Tahiti GPUs — AMD’s not sharing the full specs — but the eagle-eyed folks at AnandTech have plucked a few extra details from the limited pictures available. They note the open-air cooling, which would require a drafty case but mean the fans should run fairly quiet, and that power consumption is likely to be no more than 375 watts. Not much to go on, we know, but we’ll be waiting eagerly for AMD’s full reveal. Now, your BF4 video awaits. (Warning: the game dialogue contains a few naughty words).
[Image Credit: AnandTech]
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals, AMD
Via: AnandTech
Source: AMD Gaming (Facebook)
