"The Philadelphia Eagles have lost center Jamaal Jackson, seen here in November 2009,for the rest of the National Football League season to a torn knee ligament."
"It's obviously a big loss. He's a good football player," coach Andy Reid said Monday, a day after Jackson was hurt in a victory over Denver.
In Philadelphia' injury-plagued season, Jackson had been the only Eagles offensive player to play every snap until he got hurt in the first half.
An MRI on Monday showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee - an injury that could take a full year to heal.
"I don't want to take anything away from losing Jamaal," Reid said. "But at the same time, we're fortunate enough to have guys that have played in games, and big games, that we can fill in those spots."
Mike McGlynn, a second-year pro who has appeared in three career games, becomes the backup center.
Cole had some issues adjusting to his new position on Sunday. He snapped the ball too soon at the Eagles' one-yard line, but quarterback Donovan McNabb fell on it.
He'll have a chance to practice with McNabb this week to hone his skills at the position, and Reid said he expected Cole to step up.
"We're fortunate enough to have Nick here," Reid said. "He is a center. This isn't a new territory for him. It's one that he's had a chance to play before and he and Donovan are on the same page. He can make all the calls, he can do the silent counts, he can do the hard count, he knows all of that stuff. That's not a new area for him."
The Eagles visit Dallas on Sunday with the NFC East division title at stake.
Urban Meyer is stepping down as coach of the Florida football team, athletics director Jeremy Foley announced Saturday afternoon in a release.
APFlorida head coach Urban Meyer is stepping down because of health reasons.
"I have given my heart and soul to coachingcollege football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer said in statement. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.
"After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family.
"I'm proud to be a part of the Gainesville community and the Gator Nation and I plan to remain in Gainesville and involved with the University of Florida.
"I'm very appreciative for the opportunity I've had to be a part of a tremendous institution - from Dr. Machen to Jeremy Foley and the entire administrative staff at UF. I'm also very thankful for the chance to work with some of the best assistants in college football and coach some of the best college football players and watch them grow both on and off the field as people. I will cherish the relationships with them the most."
Update | 8:13 p.m. Jeremy Fowler, the Florida beat writer for The Orlando Sentinel, just tweeted this: “Just talked to a Florida staff member — Urban was in hospital at least twice this month for chest pains, nausea and sickness.”
When Meyer was hospitalized after the SEC title game it was originally announced that he had been dehydrated. Later reports said he had chest pains.
Walking 10 blocks down Poydras to the Superdome late Saturday afternoon, this game had the feeling of a coronation. This city was on fire. No self-respecting pedestrian was without a Saints jersey, T-shirt, hat ... or beer. On the streets, being sold out of coolers by passersby. A real party scene, complete with a flatbed truck going by, playing U2's "The Saints Are Coming'' from the night the team came back to the rebuilt Superdome in 2006. In six hours, the Saints would be 14-0, and the party would move to the French Quarter.
Then the Dallas Cowboys played the game Jerry Jones was sure they had in them but just hadn't shown. Say what you will about the 24-17 survival test, but this is all that counts: Tony Romo made plays when it counted, the defensive front made plays when it counted, and on this night, the Cowboys were the better team. Nothing fluky about it. The five ways Dallas beat up the Saints and ruined their shot at a perfect season:
1. The Cowboys' front seven never let Drew Brees get comfortable. By my count, through three quarters, Dallas moved Brees off his spot in the pocket -- either by sacking him or flushing him from the pocket -- on 50 percent of his pass drops (12 of 24). Brees never got comfortable or in a rhythm all night. That was huge.
2. The two bookend outside linebackers, Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware, played the kind of big game that justified the faith Dallas showed in them. Spencer was drafted 26th overall in 2007, Ware 11th overall by the Cowboys in 2005. And with a combined seven tackles, four sacks, four quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, Ware and Spencer accomplished two things: They showed that Sean Payton should have kept more men in to protect Brees; and they showed the holes in the Saints' regular protection schemes, near left tackle Jermon Bushrod. Ware, whose status was in doubt before the game because of his scary neck sprain last week against San Diego, didn't take any snaps off -- from what I saw -- and looked like the classic home-wrecker
3. Tony Romo stared defeat in the face and wouldn't succumb. Third-and-seven, Dallas 27-yard line, 6:29 left in the game, Dallas up 24-17. The Superdome was so loud you couldn't read sign language. Calmly, Romo hit Miles Austin on a short cross over the middle; gain of 32. Then he hit third-string tight end John Phillips up the left sideline for 23 yards, then backup wideout Sam Hurd for six. "Maturity,'' offensive coordinator Jason Garrett told me in the locker room. "Plus, he's pretty good.''
4. The Cowboys' secondary has played well in recent weeks, but nothing like they played Saturday in the dome. The combination of Terence Newman at left corner and Mike Jenkins on the right side wreaked havoc with Brees and his quick-strike offense all night. "We did nothing different than normal," Jenkins said. "We've been playing pretty good, and I have all the respect in the world for Drew Brees. But we know we can cover, and tonight, we covered."
5. Finally, Marion Barber and Felix Jones held up their end. The Cowboys rushed for 145 clock-eating yards, with 120 on 31 carries from Barber and Jones. That took the pressure off Romo, who threw for 312 yards (and one TD) and kept Dallas mostly out of 3rd and longs. For Dallas to play meaningful football in January, Barber needs to be a punishing inside runner and Jones must make people miss on the perimeter. Jones didn't do much of that against the Saints, but Barber leveled New Orleans defenders on many carries. If Dallas plays like this against Washington and Philadelphia in the last two weeks, the Cowboys will be a playoff team. And no one will want to play them on Wild Card Weekend. Now they've just got to play a couple more games like this one. But hasn't that always been this team's problem?
Representatives acting on behalf of Tiger Woods brokered a deal two years ago to bury a tabloid story of an extramarital affair, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. It said representatives for the golfer acted after the National Enquirer threatened to publish pictures of Woods taken in a parked car with Mindy Lawton, a Florida waitress.
The alleged deal, which the Wall Street Journal claims was made in August 2007, saw Woods give an exclusive cover interview and photo spread to a sister magazine of the Enquirer, Men's Fitness.
It is the second such claim to be made after the publication of a similar story in the New York Post earlier this month.
American Media, owner of the Enquirer and Men's Fitness, said descriptions of such a deal were "inaccurate, false" and "misinformed". It claimed the interview, headlined Tiger!, and in which a beaming Woods appeared on the cover, was a result of the golfer's previous link with the interviewer, Roy Johnson.
But Neal Boulton, former editor in chief of Men's Fitness at the time of the alleged deal, fuelled further speculation after claiming that he left his post because of the incident. "[American Media CEO] David Pecker knew about Tiger Woods' infidelity a long time ago … He traded silence for a Men's Fitness cover," Boulton told the New York Post.
The claim that there was a cover-up of Woods's infidelity is the latest twist to a story that began to unravel last month after the 14-time champion's car hit a fire hydrant near his Florida home. Official statements from the golfer sought to end speculation that he had been involved in an argument with his wife, Elin Nordegren, at the time of the accident. She was found clutching a golf club after the accident and claimed she had used it to smash the vehicle's rear window in a bid to rescue her husband from his car.
Since then a series of women, including a New York nightclub promoter and two Las Vegas cocktail waitresses, have claimed to have had affairs with the golfer. Reports that the 33-year-old billionaire also gave out financial gifts have tarnished a hitherto squeaky-clean image. In a statement this month, Woods said he regretted his "transgressions" and said: "I have let my family down". He has since withdrawn from golfing commitments, amid reports of a possible divorce.
Woods's commercial interests are also under pressure after the watch brand Tag Heuer confirmed that it would not be using him in US publicity until further notice, saying it had to "take account of the sensitivity of some consumers in relation to recent events".
Talented but troubled Cincinnati Bengalswide receiver Chris Henry died Thursday from injuries suffered when he was thrown from the back of a moving pickup truck during a fight with his fiancee.
He was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. at a North Carolina hospital, police said.
After Henry and fiancee Loleini Tonga began arguing at a Charlotte house, Tonga started to drive off and Henry apparently jumped into the bed of the pickup truck, police in Charlotte said.
As Tonga drove, Henry tumbled out the back of the moving vehicle. The mortally wounded NFL player was found lying in the street about a half-mile from the home, police said.
Bengals owner Mike Brown, who offered the often self-destructive Henry a shot at redemption, said the death came at a time when the player was thriving.
"He had worked through the troubles in his life and had finally, seemingly reached the point where everything was going to blossom," Brown said.
"And he was going to have the future we all wanted for him. It's painful to us. We feel it in our hearts, and we will miss him."
Police said Wednesday that no charges were filed against Tonga, although it was unclear if Henry's death might change that.
Homicide detectives were assigned to investigate the case, police spokeswoman Rosalyn Harrington said.
Henry was already on injured reserve with a broken left forearm suffered in a Nov. 8 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. His fiancee's parents live in Charlotte.
The receiver's stunning death followed his latest comeback from a plethora of off-field problems.
Henry was arrested five times in 28 months before the Bengals cut him in April 2008.
He was busted on charges of marijuana possession, carrying a concealed weapon, drunken driving and assault. Henry was suspended for two games in 2006 and eight more in 2007 for violating the NFL's conduct policy.
The Bengals opted to give him another chance shortly after his release, and Henry behaved himself across the past two seasons.
In an October interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Henry credited his fiancee with keeping him focused on football.
"She's been a big help," Henry said. "She's been right here with me and going through things and helping out on my side. ... She has my back with everything I've needed."
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