Gumble Gets Tagged

By Ivette Ricco

August 28, 2006

We bring you this Special Report on the NFL pre-season.

HBO's latest "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" concluded with the host speaking directly to incoming commissioner Roger Goodell.

"Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash ... (and) try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch," Gumbel said.

Yes, T.O. is still riding his bike, Branch is still looking for a new home, and players, such as Troy Polamalu, are complaining about preseason games.

But add to the pre-season hilarity HBO’s Bryant Gumble’s sharp-tongued comments regarding the soon-to-be former NFL Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, by way of NFLPA Executive Director, Gene Upshaw and you have the makings of a cat fight.

Gumble was hired by the NFL Network to handle play-by-play for the NFL Network’s eight games this season.
If the NFL handles this as they did ESPN’s Playmakers mini-series, then we can expect we will not see Gumble handling play-by-play for them in this century.

Bryant Gumble is guilty of only one thing, exercising his freedom of speech as a journalist. He suggested that the new NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, put an end to the mutual admiration society and kissy-kissy relationship between the NFL Players Association and the NFL.

Most media-types sided with Gumble, while Paul Tagliabue called Gumbel's entire commentary "uninformed" and "inexcusable."
Gene Upshaw has yet to comment publicly.

But here is one voice we didn’t expect to hear from on this subject, Deion Sanders.
"I really don't understand two African-Americans who have worked their butts off to get to where they are, and one has a personal vendetta and would carry it out nationally on (the other)," Sanders said. "I think it's nonsense."
"I didn't think Mr. Gumbel handled it correctly. ... It's just ignorance."

Silent on the comments made by Gumble, Upshaw however, was on the offensive when he heard the remarks made by Bernie Parrish, former Browns defensive back.

"Bryant Gumbel got it exactly right," said Parrish, a founding member of the NFLPA. "I don't think I can say it any better."

Upshaw has held his tongue over Gumbel's remarks, but he's furious at Parrish.
"Bernie Parrish is a bald-faced liar with every statement he makes," Upshaw said. "When he got off the conference call we had, he lied about everything that was discussed. He's making statements that I operate the union as a goon squad."

This concludes our Special Report, now back to the everyday petty stuff.

On the field of play some cities are already making travel arrangements for Super Bowl XLI.

Just who might these optimistic people be?

 

Unbeaten in Pre-Season as of August 27, 2006

Bengals

Raiders

Cowboys

Giants

Panthers

 

Winless as of August 27, 2006

Pittsburgh

Buffalo

Tennessee

Redskins

Care to wager at this juncture?
No my pretty, it is only pre-season and if the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers are 0-3 then just how indicative of team talent can these games possibly be?

The only reason to watch pre-season football as a fan is to try and sort out the players who might have an impact on your team in the future. But the pre-season isn’t meant to be a fan’s delight, it is meant to provide coaches with information.

The NFL pre-season casualty list is lengthy, as usual, and it's begging the annual question: Are NFL training camps, and the four- to five-game exhibition schedule, just too much?

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is so physically and spiritually chiseled year-round that he believes training camp, actually becomes an impediment to him.

But NFL spokesman Greg Aiello points out, "If you add more regular-season games, the veterans and starters are playing more, and you're putting them at additional risk for injury".

Should the preseason be shortened?

You tell me…

 

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