Is there a potential for a Jerry Jones—Bill Parcells head butting on the horizon?

What might cause this?

TERRELL OWENS!

So far, Denver and Kansas City have shown interest in Owens. Denver’s reportedly discussed trade with the Eagles. There’s a rumor out there that someone might even be willing to offer a 1^st day draft choice (likely a 3^rd rounder) for the rights to Owens. This rumor almost certainly originated with Owens agent Drew Rosenhaus who desperately wants to drum up interest in his client so that the team that trades for him pays him that $5 million bonus he has coming in a few weeks.

The Cowboys have been put on the “most likely to want Owens” list since the very moment things exploded in Philadelphia. Jerry Jones loves talent. Bill Parcells hates locker room distractions. The fact that Dallas continues to be thought of as a possible Owens destination springs from Jones continuing teasing remarks about him. Jerry refuses to shut the door on the possibility of Owens coming here. In fact, Jerry’s comments actually seem to push the door more open.

We have no idea what Bill thinks because Bill, as usual, goes totally mute once the final snap of the season has happened. But there’s no question that Bill would not appreciate the kind of antics that have been part and parcel of Owens previous stays in San Francisco and Philly. People keep saying that a “strong coach” like Parcells is just what Owens needs. But Andy Reid and a very tight Eagle organization thought the very same thing and that club is now in a shambles.

So, who wins if Jerry wants him and Bill doesn’t? Maybe Jerry. Bill is on a year to year basis in Dallas. Might he conceivably give a little on this one?

Today’s posting comes to you from Friedo. Friedo is already in Detroit for Super Bowl XL. He arrived Saturday. I will land in Detroit sometime around 10pm tonight. I will withhold judgment on this year’s host city until I have been there for a day or two. So here are some thoughts from Friedo.

It is finally here. Super Bowl week is a huge week for the NFL. A week full of hype. A week full of staged press conferences. A week of staged celebrity sightings. This is a week where just about everything is staged.

It’s also a week in which you will read and hear all sorts of media types complain about the host city. It has become a tradition to rip the host city. It doesn’t matter where they play the game, the host city will be torn to shreds.

This year the main complaint will be about the weather in Detroit. The jokes will be about the downsizing of the auto plants, the boarded up buildings and the general filth of the city.

Last year Jacksonville took the beating…Houston took it two years ago…And, the media even found reasons to complain about San Diego in 2003.

I have never understood this. First of all, every city has flaws. Secondly, the Super Bowl is a HUGE event with a lot of moving parts. The fact that any city can pull it off without disaster is pretty impressive.

But more importantly, there is absolutely no reason for anyone fortunate enough to take a trip to the Super Bowl to complain. It doesn’t matter who the host city is, the week of the Super Bowl is quite an experience.

Look at the people complaining. Look at all the perks they get this week. All the parties that they can attend, all the free food, all the free gear, all the access to celebrities and most of all, access to the game. They have absolutely nothing to complain about.

So, why do they complain? Well, I can’t really speak for sportswriters or TV guys but I’d be happy to share my thoughts on the radio side.

I think that some them have the twisted logic that forces them to think that their audience actually enjoys listening to the complaints. But, this logic has never made sense to me and I don’t think it ever will. As a radio producer or talk show host, you are talking to people that would give their left arm to attend the Super Bowl and the events that surround the game. Do you really think that they want to hear you complain about it? That’s just crazy. I just can’t buy that logic.

Even worse than that, though , are the media types that are seriously complaining. And, believe me these people do exist. It takes a very bitter personality to be upset that he has to go to the Super Bowl.

Another reason that the media complains about the Super Bowl is deception. Look at it this way as a media type covering the Super Bowl:

1) you getting a free trip to the largest sporting event in the nation,

2) most of the time the game is held in a great vacation spot (ie…Arizona, Miami)

3) you get access to some of the top celebrities

4) you get invitations to all the great parties

5) you get to go to the game

6) YOU GET PAID FOR ALL OF THIS

Do you really want your boss (or your wife) to think you are having this much fun? If they knew how great it was, eventually they’d stop paying you to do this.

And then there is the reason I complain. GUILT. That’s right, pure guilt plain and simple. I am very lucky to get to experience Super Bowl week every year. It’s something that I wish all sports fans could get to do at least once in their lives. There is nothing else like it. But, the last thing I want people to think is that I am actually enjoying this.

For years, “the experts” have been predicting that one day, the NFL will resort to pay per view broadcasts. Well, you may not realize it but the NFL has been a pay per view league for quite some time. They are just very savvy about the way they’ve gone about it. And, today the league has made an announcement that just takes their pay per view status to another level.

It’s official. The NFL has announced that it has sold the highly coveted 8 game, primetime Thursday and Saturday package. That’s not big news. The NFL has always had success in creating bidding wars for its product.

The big news is that:

-- the NFL did not sell this package to any of the major networks.

--they didn’t sell the package to ESPN or OLN as had been speculated

--they didn’t sell the package to a major internet company as also had been speculated.

The NFL sold this package to itself. That’s right. Beginning next season, the NFL Network will carry 8 primetime games…including a possible Thanksgiving Night matchup between the Cowboys and the Redskins.

In the span of 30 months, the NFL Network has grown much faster than anyone anticipated. But even with the rapid growth, only about 30 million homes nationwide receive the channel on their satellite or cable package. For this reason, these games will also be made available to local over the air stations in the markets of each team participating in these games.

This is just another example of how the NFL walks a fine line between evil empire and brilliant marketer. They are not looked upon as a pay per view league yet the revenue generated from their TV contracts continues to be astounding.

ESPN has paid plenty of money for the rights to carry NFL games. And, yes they attempt to recoup most of that money through advertising. But, the NFL has also given ESPN a valuable property that makes them more attractive to cable and satellite operators thus increasing the fees they can charge. Your bill reflects the increased fees and you are indirectly paying to watch the NFL.

This new NFL Network package will have the same effect. While the NFL Network is now offered on most cable and satellite services, it is considered a premium service. If you want to receive the NFL Network, you are going to pay above and beyond the fees for basic service. And now that the network has an attractive asset and those fees are sure to increase even more.

This is where the NFL is either very savvy or very tricky depending on the way you look at it. Most people do not look at the NFL as pay per view because they are not ordering individual games. It’s not like a $49.95 pay per view title fight that you have to purchase. But you are paying the price for the NFL every month when you get your cable or satellite bill.

Here’s where it gets tricky: whether you are a fan of the NFL or not, you are paying for the product. Let’s say that you are not a fan of the NFL and you have no intention of ever watching an NFL game on ESPN but you are a newshound and you want to have access to all the news channels (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc…). In order to receive these channels you have to buy an “extended basic” subscription package that includes ESPN. By the way, for most cable companies the extended basic package is about $15-$20/month more than the basic package. Even though you have no interest in the NFL, you are now paying for the product. It just doesn’t seem fair, does it?

And, yes it does work both ways. Plenty of football fans who have upgraded their cable service so they can watch the NFL Network are also paying for channels that they have no intention of watching (ie…Oxygen, Lifetime, etc…). But, I think it is fairly safe to say that the NFL and ESPN drive more demand for premium cable subscriptions than any other cable network.

This gives ESPN (and now the NFL Network) even more ammunition when they negotiate their fees. They will tell you that without their products it would be much harder for the cable companies to sell their extended packages. And they are probably right. So cable companies are forced to pay the price to keep these networks.

As the NFL collects more and more revenue from these rights fees, you will continue to pay to watch (or in some cases not watch) the games. And as long as the NFL continues to offer it’s games in some way, shape or form on local, over the air, free TV, they will not ever be looked upon as a pay per view league.

Just 3 weeks after leading the Texas Longhorns to a Rose Bowl victory and a National Championship, Vince Young has gone from hero to goat in many people’s eyes.

Young gained the respect of many (including myself) with his performance on the field in Pasadena. He was on top of the world. He established himself as a legitimate QB and a top NFL Prospect. He was the talk of the nation. He even appeared on TV with Jay Leno.

What has he done to tarnish his reputation amongst some of his biggest fans? Well he traveled back to his hometown of Houston and signed some autographs. There’s nothing wrong with that. Right? Young is a hero in Houston and I think it’s safe to say that his autograph is in high demand.

That’s right there is nothing with VY signing for his fans. But, there’s a catch. You see, apparently Young couldn’t wait to collect his huge NFL signing bonus. So, he spent last weekend at a Collector’s Show where he sold his autograph..

People lined up for more than 3 hours for the chance to pay VY $79 for an non-personalized autograph. That’s right for $79 you couldn’t even get Vince to write “…Best Wishes…”

While it is very common for athlete’s to show up on the Collector’s circuit. What’s not so common is for them to show up so quickly. A lot of former athletes use these shows to supplement their post-career income. A lot of these guys played in an era when there was no such thing as 7 figure, set for life contracts. A lot of these guys retired from their sport with little or no money in the bank.   A lot of them depend on the money they earn from these shows.

It’s different now. If Vince and his people are wise and are able to manage the money properly, his first NFL contract will assure him a comfortable life. And, if he is successful, his second contract will make him filthy rich.

In the end, this is a mini-controversy and it will go away as mini-controversies often do.   I understand the temptation to make the quick buck. $79 was the cost of his autograph. But at what cost to his reputation? I sure hope it was worth it, Vince.

The City of Irving is proposing a vote to approve a $10 per ticket tax along with a $3 per vehicle tax for fans attending Dallas Cowboys games at Texas Stadium for the team’s final 3 seasons in Irving. They are also proposing a $5k per game participation tax for every NFL player that plays a game in the stadium. They project that these taxes will raise over $30 million over the next 3 years. According to city officials, that money will be dedicated to improving and developing the site of the stadium after the Cowboys leave.

Irving City officials are also quick to point out that they are not doing anything different than the City of Arlington is going to do once the Cowboys move to their new stadium. They will tell you that this is not a scam. That they are not “sticking it to the fans or to the players”. They will tell you that this is simply a way that many municipalities are generating revenue to fund their stadiums. They will point to “The Brimer Bill” and tell you that this bill gives them the authority and right to implement this tax.

Well, let me tell you that this is a load of garbage. The Brimer Bill, named for State Senator Kim Brimer, was crafted in 1997 to provide a way for cities to raise funds to pay for building tourist related venues such as arenas and stadiums. So, on the surface, it appears that the city does have a good case in trying to levy these taxes.

In a lot of ways the logic in this type of tax makes sense. The people that are utilizing the venue should bear a large portion of the expense that comes with that venue. It seems only fair that a Cowboys season ticket holder who is enjoying that stadium every week should pay more in taxes for the stadium than someone who will never set foot in the stadium. It is a form of user tax. The people that benefit from the venue also bear the burden of paying for the venue.

But, what will the City of Irving do with all the revenue these taxes are sure to generate? The City of Irving has apparently agreed to a non-compete clause with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. This means that once the Cowboys leave for Arlington, the City of Irving will not attempt to bring any events, sporting or otherwise, to Texas Stadium. It has been reported that they plan to tear down the stadium and turn the site into business and retail developments.

The City can spin it any way they want. They can try to tell us that they are just using the same types of taxes that Arlington will use when the Cowboys open their new stadium But, it appears that the City of Irving wants to use these taxes to help them tear down a venue, not build a venue. T

They are not only wrong, they are completely misleading the public and should be ashamed of it. There is a huge difference between how the City of Arlington is using the tax and how Irving wants to use it.

The City of Arlington is using the tax to fund a new stadium. They are using the tax in the spirit of the Brimer Bill. When a fan buys a ticket to a Cowboys game in Arlington he (she) will be paying the tax to help offset the costs of constructing a new stadium. They may not like the fact that they are paying the tax. But at least they will be paying a tax for a venue that they will be using for years to come. But, if the City of Irving gets its way, the same fan will be paying for the demolition of a venue and redevelopment of the site. Who knows what kind of redevelopment is in store for the site? It is entirely possible that the Cowboy fans that pay this tax will never have any desire or reason to utilize the redeveloped site.

This spits in the face of the spirit of the Brimer Bill. The fact that the City of Irving wants to twists words and attempt to tell us that they are only doing the same exact thing that the Arlington is going to do simply insults our intelligence.

In the City of Arlington this is a user tax. But, the same exact tax in Irving will be a demolition tax. That’s a huge difference.

I may be out of town but Friedo tells me that Tom Hicks has sent a letter to Roger Clemens agent. I can only imagine how much fun the guys at the station are having with this. But in all reality this is the first step in bringing the Rocket to Arlington. He and his people are going to want some sort of formal notification that the Rangers are interested.

Friedo is more skeptical about the Rangers’ chances of landing this huge free agent. He has put himself in Mr. Hicks’ shoes and written his own letter to Roger's agent:

Dear Roger Clemens’ Agent

As you may be aware, the Texas Rangers are very interested in acquiring the services of your client, Roger “Rocket” Clemens.

You may also be aware of the fact that I not only own the Texas Rangers but I am also a top supporter of the University of Texas Athletic Department. An athletic department that your client also supports.

You may further be aware that my (and the Rangers’) interest in your client is not some knee jerk reaction to his pending availability. I (we) have coveted your client for the better part of two decades. We have flirted in the past. Flirted to the point that I was even planning on having Roger drop the puck at one of my hockey games. Things have not worked out in the past but I believe that now is the time for your client to become a Texas Ranger.

I believe that there are several reasons for your client to pitch for my team:

1) Run support—IF your client chooses our organization he will not have to worry about a lack of offensive support. We have proven that we can score runs. Your client will never have to worry about losing a game 1-0.

2) We are quietly building a strong pitching rotation—You may not have noticed but in this off season we have added a couple of top pitchers in our rotation (Adam Eaton and Kevin Millwood). If your client agrees to play ball with us, we will have one of the strongest rotations in the league.

3) Challenge of pitching in Arlington—Your client can single handedly change the entire reputation of our ballpark. When he succeeds in our ballpark he will prove that he is by far the best pitcher of his era.

4) The chance to make franchise history as the missing puzzle piece—If your client signs with the Rangers and the Rangers go on to win a World Series, just imagine the legendary stories that will evolve. Roger will be looked upon forever as the man who brought a Championship to Arlington…Something that hasn’t happened in the entire history of the franchise.

5) Fan support and desire—The Rangers’ fans want to see Roger Clemens in Arlington…They have even dedicated an entire website to bringing the Rocket to the Rangers…There is no other place in Major League Baseball that will welcome your client with such open arms.

6) Proximity to Home—Did we mention how close Arlington is to your client’s hometown?

Sounds good doesn’t it? But, in addition to all of the above, I also know your client. I know that all of this sounds good and looks good on paper. But I know that there are only two things that really matter to your client right now MONEY and MORE MONEY.

Your client might say that he wants to stay close to his family. He may say that he wants a chance to win a championship. But it all boils down to money. Doesn’t it?

So, here’s the important part of this letter:

NAME YOUR PRICE!

I can tell you all about run support. I can tell you all about our promising pitching rotation. I can tell you how our fans will welcome your client with open arms. But, the truth of the matter is that I can’t guarantee any of that and, in all reality, your client probably really doesn’t care that much about that stuff.

There are a lot of promises that I can’t really make. But there are only two promises that I can guarantee. I can guarantee that there is not another owner in this league that wants you your client as badly as I do. I can also guarantee you that there is not another owner in this league that is willing to give your client as much money as I am.

And, at the end of the day, we both know that money is what really matters to both of us.

Let me say this:  I, in no way shape or form, endorse the above letter.  It is the work of my producer who is not ready to believe that Mr. Clemens would choose to pitch here for any reason other than money.  But, I will say that money probably will be the key in bringing the Rocket to Arlington.