Charlotte.com: Carolina Panthers

Suspect pleads guilty in Redskins star's slaying

Fri, 16 May 2008 02:06 EDT

One of five suspects charged in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor has pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and burglary.

Defense attorney Michael Hornung says that according to the plea agreement, Venjah Hunte will serve 29 years in prison and cooperate with prosecutors.

Hornung says Hunte pleaded guilty earlier, but prosecutors requested the plea agreement be sealed because investigators were pursuing the fifth suspect.

That suspect, Timothy Brown, 16, was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder and armed burglary of an occupied dwelling.

Taylor died of massive blood loss after he was shot at his Miami-area home during a botched robbery in November.

Around the league

CLEVELAND: The Browns signed free agent defensive back Jereme Perry to a 1-year contract to fill out their thin secondary.

Perry played 12 games for the Browns in 2006 after earning a roster spot as an undrafted free agent from Eastern Michigan. He made 12 tackles and recovered one fumble. Perry played in four games on special teams for Miami last season.

JACKSONVILLE: The Jaguars gave defensive tackle Rob Meier a bigger contract to go along with his bigger role.

Meier, who is replacing three-time Pro Bowl player Marcus Stroud in the starting lineup, signed a four-year contract extension.

Although financial details weren't disclosed, Meier said the new deal will pay more than the $2.095 million he was due in the final year of his previous contract.

Meier's deal also came two days after defensive end Paul Spicer failed to show up for the team's first voluntary workout of the offseason while seeking a new contract.

NEW ENGLAND: Former assistant coach Brian Daboll told the NFL he doesn't remember speaking with Matt Walsh about the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough Walsh attended the day before the 2002 Super Bowl.

Even if Daboll and New England's former video assistant did speak about it, "it would not be a violation of NFL rules," the league said.

WASHINGTON: The Redskins released former Pro Bowl kick returner Jerome Mathis and signed undrafted rookie defensive end J.T. Mapu.

Mathis signed with Washington early last month, making him the only player from another team to join the Redskins during an unusually quiet free agency period before the draft. He made his practice debut during this month's minicamp.

Mapu had 65 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in four years at Tennessee. He attended the minicamp on a tryout basis.

Mathis made the Pro Bowl as a returner with Houston in 2005, but he was injured for most of the last two seasons and had two recent run-ins with the law. He became a free agent when the Texans opted not to make him a qualifying offer at the end of last season.

Fox: Stewart to get shot at kick returns

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:26 EDT

First-round draft pick Jonathan Stewart could be the Carolina Panthers' primary kickoff returner next season as well as their featured running back.

Coach John Fox dropped the news at a Charlotte Touchdown Club luncheon Wednesday when asked who would be the team's kickoff returner.

It's an area of serious concern for Panthers fans because the team ranked last and next-to-last in the NFL over the past two seasons, respectively, with the two worst yards-per-return averages in team history (19.4 in 2006 and 19.1 in '07). The Panthers haven't had a kickoff return for a touchdown since Rod Smart did it in 2003.

Fox noted that Stewart was one of the nation's top kick returners during his college career at Oregon.

"He's the guy who'll start off with those duties when we get to (training) camp," Fox said.

Stewart returned 58 kickoffs at Oregon for a 28.7-yard average, with two touchdowns. He ranked third in the Pac-10 as a junior.

"Based on past history, he can do it," Fox said.

Stewart also rushed for 1,722 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

The Panthers expect him to compete with DeAngelo Williams for the starting running back position.

Stewart was unable to participate in minicamp practices this month because he's recovering from surgery to repair a turf-toe injury. He's expected to be ready by the time training camp opens in late July.

When asked by the Observer if he was concerned that returning kicks could expose Stewart to too much injury risk, Fox said: "It's no different than when (receiver) Steve Smith was our punt returner. We'll evaluate that as we go."

Smith said in recent seasons that he didn't want to do the double duty. However, Stewart said the day the Panthers drafted him that he welcomed it.

"I hope so," he said. "Returning kicks is another offensive possession. It's an opportunity to get the game rolling for the offense."

At 5-foot-10, 233 pounds, with 4.45-second speed in the 40-yard dash, Stewart would be one of the NFL's biggest, most powerful kickoff returners.

Carolina's other top candidates for the job are free-agent signee Ricardo Colclough and second-year pro Ryne Robinson, who had 26 of the Panthers' 60 kickoff returns last season for a 23.0-yard average.

How many wins, coach?

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:07 EDT

Panthers coach John Fox was the guest speaker at a Charlotte Touchdown Club luncheon Wednesday. Here are some of his answers to questions from the crowd, or from emcees Mick Mixon and Jim Szoke of the Panthers' radio network. Some answers are edited for brevity.

Q. What were your priorities before the draft? We wanted to get more physical on the offensive line. I was tired of going for it on third-and-1 and then it being fourth-and-2. People would be critical of me for sometimes not going for it on fourth-and-1. But, I'd think, "Wow, why in the heck would I do that if we can't get it on third-and-1?"

Q. How many games are you going to win? For those of you who do not know the gentleman who asked the question, that's Cammie Harris. He's actually a (ownership) partner with the Panthers. That's one of Cammie's annual questions. I'll give my standard seventh-year answer: If we stay healthy, you'll be happy.

Q. Are we going to make (opposing defenses) not double-team Steve Smith? He is a top-ranked receiver -- if not the best, one of the best in the league. We've been trying to do that for some time. Getting Moose (Muhsin Muhammad) back, signing D.J. Hackett, hopefully Dwayne Jarrett is a year further along. Those kind of things, and being able to run the football That's a huge, huge part of getting that coverage off of Steve Smith.

Q. There seems to be a lot of excitement about rookie safety Charles Godfrey, a third-round pick from Iowa. Is there anything you can say now to add credence to that? We put him with the first group to start with (at minicamp). He adapted well. It didn't look like it was too big for him. He fit in well. Our players liked him. Maybe one of the good (things) was Steve Smith said, "Man, that (number) 30 is pretty good." Smitty doesn't give out a lot of compliments.

Q. About Spygate, how do you think (New England's illegal videotaping practices) affected our Super Bowl (against the Patriots in 2004)? Wow. I thought I was getting softballs here, but I got a changeup. It's something that the league is dealing with. When I went swimming as a youth, they always told me to stay in my lane. So that's not something I feel free to comment on. It's hard to say. There was no hard evidence that did occur, so we'll just leave it at that.

Q. How are you going to use (rookie linebacker) Dan Connor? In just a three-day look at him (at minicamp), there's no question he's a fine, distinctive football player. Right now, he's on the second or third tier as far as the depth chart. But I've seen those guys blast up that depth chart fast, and I have high expectations of him.

Steve Smith, starting for Chicago Cubs?

Thu, 15 May 2008 07:17 EDT

Panthers receiver Steve Smith,who turned 29 Monday, learned Tuesday he will throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field in Chicago for the Cubs-Padres game tonight.

It started as a birthday gift from wife Angie to send him to Chicago to see the game. Smith said he has always wanted to visit famous ballparks such as Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park.

He said a friend knew someone in the Cubs' organization, and when the team learned Smith was coming, they asked if the NFL star would toss out the first pitch.

"I was just going as a spectator," Smith said, "and they want little ol' me to throw out the first pitch. It's just awesome."

-- Langston Wertz Jr.

Patrick gets Sports Illustrated cover

Danica Patrick is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, more proof of her higher profile since she became the first female winner in IndyCar history last month.

Patrick, the Indy Japan 300 winner on April 20, has qualified fifth for the Indianapolis 500, making her one of the favorites for the IRL's biggest race.

-- associated press

We Recommend

PIT CREW CHALLENGE9 p.m., SPEED

Ryan Newman'spit crew will attempt to defend its title and take home the $70,000 first prize in the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge tonight at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The crew had a record time of 23.35 seconds in the quarterfinal round last year and turned in a 24.66-second stop in the championship round.

-- THOMAS TORRENCE

Today's TV

All times p.m. unless noted. Schedules subject to change.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Mississippi at Kentucky FOXSS 6:30

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

@Atlanta at Philadelphia SS 7

NBA

New Orleans at San Antonio ESPN 9

GOLF

Irish Open GOLF 10 a.m.

BMW Charity Pro-Am GOLF 1

AT&T Classic GOLF 3

NHL

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia VS 7:30

MOTORSPORTS

Pit Crew Challenge SPEED 9

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

Salt Lake at Colorado ESPN2 9:30

NOTE: @ Available in South Carolina and the N.C. counties of Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Union, Watauga, Wilkes.

Radio Highlights

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Atlanta at Philadelphia 7WSTP-AM (1490, Salisbury)

MINOR-LEAGUE BASEBALL

Hickory at Columbus 7

WMNC-FM (92.1, Morganton)

Syracuse at Charlotte 7:15

WFNA-AM (1660, Charlotte)

NHL

Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 7:30

WFNZ-AM (610, Charlotte)

@charlotte.com

Top sports stories, based on page views from midnight to 7 p.m. Wednesday:

1. Whitley's death a shock to family

2. Speedway crowd tightens spending

3. Knights set 2010 goal for new stadium

4. No. 1 Justine Henin retires from tennis immediately

5. Independence to play Florida 2A champs Sept. 5

Patriots approve of apology

Thu, 15 May 2008 02:06 EDT

Robert Kraft picked up the newspaper at his home Wednesday morning and was happy to see the front-page headline in big capital letters:

"SORRY, PATS"

The Patriots owner felt vindicated by the Boston Herald's apology after a season -- and offseason -- of reports the NFL's most successful franchise of the decade had spied on opponents.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell found no more wrongdoing by New England, which had been punished for taping New York Jets coaches in the 2007 season opener. Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh produced no tape of a St. Louis Rams walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl while meeting with Goodell on Tuesday.

And the newspaper that first reported on Feb. 2 the existence of such a tape said it had made a mistake and apologized in headlines on the front and back pages and in a brief story.

• Spygate might not be over, though. Not if the "incensed" Pittsburgh Steelers fan in Congress has anything to do with it.

Sen. Arlen Specter called for an independent investigation of the New England Patriots' taping of opposing coaches' signals, possibly similar to the high-profile Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

"What is necessary is an objective investigation," Specter said in the Capitol. "And this one has not been objective."

Around the league

BALTIMORE: The Ravens have reached a compromise with franchise player Terrell Suggs, his agent said.

Suggs filed a grievance against the team in March after the Ravens tagged him with the one-year, $8.065 million linebacker tag. He was seeking to be paid the defensive end franchise designation of $8,879,000.

Now, Suggs will be paid a one-year tender worth nearly $8.5 million as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, his agent said.

CLEVELAND: The Browns cut backup defensive back Kenny Wright, who was arrested last month on marijuana possession charges after trying to outrun police in Texas.

• Kellen Winslow's absence from organized team activities this week is notable.

Unlike minicamps, the three weeks of OTAs are not mandatory. However, players usually report so they can take part in conditioning drills and team meetings or rehab injuries.

Star tight end Winslow had offseason knee surgery. He also has made it clear he wants the Browns to redo his contract.

OAKLAND: The Raiders made another move to try to upgrade their defense Tuesday, signing free-agent defensive end Greg Spires to a one-year contract to compete for a job as pass rusher on the right side.

Spires has 39.5 sacks in his 10-year career, playing the past six seasons with the Buccaneers. His best season came in 2004, when he had eight sacks.

WASHINGTON: Prosecutors in Miami say a fifth person has been charged in the slaying of Redskins star Sean Taylor.

Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office spokesman Ed Griffith said Timothy Brown,16, is charged with first-degree murder under a sealed warrant.

Taylor, 24, died of massive blood loss after he was shot at his Miami-area home during a botched robbery in November.

Camera shy? Not Patriots' Belichick

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:41 EDT

If the New England Patriots were a sports agent, I could see them slipping money to a basketball or football star at Southern California.

If the Patriots were a college coach, I could see them dangling Escalade keys in front of a high school quarterback.

If the Patriots were a participant in Super Bowl XXXVIII, I could see them violating NFL rules by taping the opposing coaches.

You remember that Super Bowl. Houston, Feb. 1, 2004. The Patriots led 14-10 after three quarters.

And then New England's offense suddenly figured it out and Carolina scrambled madly to keep up. The Panthers scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, the Patriots 18.

The last of New England's points came on a field goal with four seconds remaining, and the Patriots won 32-29.

Did the Patriots illicitly tape Carolina coaches, formations, signals or a walk-through practice? Was their sudden offense the result of information gleaned through camera tricks?

Only the Patriots know. All we know is that breaking rules is as integral to their culture as coach Bill Belichick's hooded sweatshirts. Why do you think NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last season fined Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000 and took away a first-round draft pick?

Although the New England-Carolina Super Bowl was more than four years ago, two questions linger. Did the Patriots cheat? And did the cheating alter the result? The Panthers and their fans are entitled to be indignant.

But they aren't entitled to be too indignant. Three of the five starters on Carolina's offensive line also cheated when they injected their bodies with steroids.

Camera tricks can help tell a coach what's coming next. Drug tricks can help linemen stop defenders from coming into the backfield.

But there's a difference. Carolina's cheating was, I'm convinced, confined to individuals, most of them popular locker room guys at the end of their career. The coach didn't know.

New England's coach knew. You probably saw pieces of the eight tapes that former video assistant Matt Walsh turned over to Goodell on Tuesday. How extensive is the team's film department?

When most NFL coaches say "cut," a player turns in his playbook. When Belichick says "cut," a video assistant turns off his camera.

Talk to Belichick and you realize that he is smarter than you are and is not terribly offended if you know it.

If he also is superior intellectually to the coaches he competes against, if he can look at the same game they do and see what they cannot, why should he have to contend with the same rules and the same limitations? He's special. Can't you tell?

Belichick will be remembered as an innovator who had the good fortune to coach one of the greatest quarterbacks who ever lived.

He'll also be remembered as a cheat.

IN MY OPINION Tom Sorensen

Walsh meets with Goodell and Specter

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:27 EDT

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that Matt Walsh had provided no new information about the New England Patriots' illicit videotaping tactics and that the team and its coach, Bill Belichick, would not be punished further.

At a news conference, the league showed the videos turned over last week by Walsh, a former Patriots video employee. In the eight tapes -- involving six games and five opponents from 2000 to '02 -- the camera was trained on the opposing teams' assistant coaches as they sent signals to their players, and then it showed the ensuing plays.

Walsh and Michael Levy, his lawyer, did not answer questions from media members before flying to Washington to meet with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who has been critical of how the NFL investigated the Patriots. Specter scheduled a news conference for today.

In brief

GOLF: Dennis Helms might have a share of the first-round lead in the N.C. Senior Amateur Championship, but the Monroe resident has been around the Carolinas golf scene long enough to know where the attention will be focused the next two days.

It will be on Paul Simson, who matched Helms' 1-under 70 at Cedarwood Country Club to share the lead by one over Charlotte's David Strawn and Raleigh's John Deluise.

Simson, a Raleigh insurance executive, had a dominating win in this event a year ago. -- Ron Green Jr.

HORSE RACING: Big Brown won't be the lone Kentucky Derby horse in the Preakness after all. Gayego, who finished 17th in the Derby on May 3, was added to the field. He will be the only one of the 19 horses beaten by Big Brown in the Derby to seek a rematch Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.

MOTORSPORTS: Carl Edwards led the speed parade at Lowe's Motor Speedway as teams made final preparations for the Nationwide Series' Carquest 300 on May 24. Edwards' lap (182.710 mph) was fastest of the two-day session, topping the 182.217 mark set Monday by Denny Hamlin.

OLYMPICS: The U.S. Olympic baseball team will play four exhibitions in North Carolina before heading to the Beijing Games. The U.S. will play Canada once at USA Baseball's national training complex in Cary on Aug. 1 and three times in Durham Aug. 2-4. The U.S. team won't be selected until July. -- observer news services

Whitley's death a shock to family

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:27 EDT

The phone call no one wants to receive came around 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The family of former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley was informed he'd been found dead one day earlier, on Mother's Day, in his trailer in Fort Stockton, Texas.

"It was completely and totally unexpected," said Norman Whitley, Curtis' brother and a sergeant with the Johnston County (N.C.) Sheriff's Department.

Norman said Curtis had moved from his hometown of Smithfield, just southeast of Raleigh, to Texas in October to get a job. Curtis drove a truck and worked at an oil rig, he said.

Fort Stockton is a town of about 9,000 people in Pecos County, Texas. It's about 130 miles from Big Bend National Park.

On Saturday, his 39th birthday, Curtis had a phone conversation with his parents.

"He was doing just fine," his brother said.

At about 1 a.m. Sunday, friends in Fort Stockton saw Curtis sitting on the front steps of his trailer, according to Chief Deputy Thomas Perkins of the Pecos County Sheriff's Office.

But after not seeing him all morning and afternoon, his friends became concerned and looked for him in the trailer.

Perkins said they found him at about 6 p.m. Sunday lying facedown in the bathroom, dead.

Whitley's death is under investigation pending an autopsy, but is being called an unattended death.

"There was no foul play that we can see," Perkins said. "It appears to be an accidental death. There are no signs of struggle or anything to tip us off that it was a homicide."

Norman Whitley said the family expects Curtis' body to be flown home today.

A private funeral service for only immediate family members, per Curtis' request, is planned for Thursday or Friday.

"You know how you sit around and talk about what to do if something happens to you?" his brother said. "That's what he wanted."

Whitley played at Clemson and was a fifth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 1992. He played three seasons there before getting selected by the Panthers in the NFL expansion draft before their inaugural season.

He started all 16 games for Carolina in '95, then was given a new three-year contract. He started eight games in '96 before getting suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

The Panthers released him after the season and he signed with Oakland. He played the '97 season with the Raiders before getting suspended again. That ended his NFL career.

Former Panther found dead

Tue, 13 May 2008 02:05 EDT

Former Carolina Panthers center Curtis Whitley has died.

Family members said Monday night that they learned earlier in the day that Whitley, who turned 39 on Saturday, had been found dead in Texas, where he was living. They were awaiting details about the cause of his death.

Whitley started every game during the Panthers' inaugural 1995 season, then made eight starts in '96 before getting suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

He resurfaced with Oakland in 1997, but was suspended again before the '98 season and didn't play in the league again.

Whitley is a Smithfield native who played at Clemson. San Diego picked him in the fifth round of the 1992 NFL draft.

The Panthers chose him in the expansion draft. It was originally announced the 1996 suspension was alcohol-related, but Whitley later admitted he had inhaled crystal methamphetamine.

NFL notes | No death penalty for suspects in Taylor case

Tue, 13 May 2008 07:42 EDT

A prosecutor said Monday he will not seek the death penalty against four people charged with murdering Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor because the accused shooter was a minor when the crime was committed.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people cannot be executed for crimes committed when they're under 18, and it's a well-established legal principle that others involved in the same case as a minor cannot face the ultimate penalty if they are less directly responsible.

Assistant State Attorney Reid Rubin filed notice Friday that the death penalty will be waived. That means the four suspects could get a maximum of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder after a trial scheduled to begin Aug. 25.

Eric Rivera Jr., who turned 18 last month, was 17 at the time police say he shot Taylor during a botched robbery at the Pro Bowl safety's Miami-area home in November. Taylor, 24, died of massive blood loss after he was shot in the upper leg.

Elsewhere

CHICAGO:Robbie Gould became the highest-paid kicker, agreeing to a five-year, $15.5 million contract extension that includes a $4.25 million signing bonus. The deal runs through 2013.

His new deal trumps the five-year, $14.2 million contract Josh Brown signed with St. Louis on March 1.

DALLAS: Get your popcorn ready: Terrell Owens is coming to prime time Wednesday night. As an actor.

T.O. will make his sitcom acting debut on the MyNetworkTV show "Under One Roof" as the long-lost brother of the show's star, Flavor Flav.

NEW ENGLAND: Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh will meet separately with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Sen. Arlen Specter today to discuss New England's videotaping of opposing coaches' play-calling signals in violation of league rules.

Walsh is scheduled to meet with Goodell at the NFL offices in New York at 7:30 a.m. Afterward, he will travel to Washington to meet with Specter. Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been critical of the NFL's handling of the investigation.

Goodell and Specter each plan to hold a news conference after meeting with Walsh.

T.O. on TV: Cowboys WR makes sitcom acting debut

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:14 EDT

Get your popcorn ready: Terrell Owens is coming to prime time Wednesday night. As an actor.

T.O. will make his sitcom acting debut on the MyNetworkTV show "Under One Roof" as the long-lost brother of the show's star, Flavor Flav. Owens tries convincing Flav and sitcom sibling Kelly Perine that they're all brothers in hopes of getting them to invest in his Web site.

"I see dollar signs," Owens said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I'm trying to kind of smooth my way into the family, but Flav is not buying it. It's a lot of funny dialogue. It was a good time."

It might also be a first step toward a second career.

"If I'm going to really consider doing acting after football, this a great start to let me get my feet wet," Owens said. "For an actor trying to become an A-lister, I think I'm on the bottom of the pile. I'm a D-lister."

Owens always has been comfortable in front of a camera, but it's usually playing the character known as T.O.

He's built his reputation through end-zone celebrations, colorful interviews (such as the time he answered questions while doing sit-ups in his driveway) and dressing up for the Tour de France just to ride a stationary bike at training camp. He showed more acting skills during a skit with one of the "Desperate Housewives" that aired before a Monday Night Football game. The scene ended with the woman dropping her towel - and ABC later offering an apology.

Owens got a taste of Hollywood in 1999, when he appeared in "Any Given Sunday" with a star-filled cast. A friend who is the casting director of this show has long been encouraging Owens to take on roles, something he's more receptive to after the way things went with Flav's show.

He came away with several football-acting comparisons: Cast members are like teammates, the script is like a playbook and both require lots of practice so that once the lights go on you're ready for anything.

"You've got to get a feel for the flow of the show and the storyline and go with it," Owens said. "They told me they were very, very pleased with the way I played my character, just how I was getting my lines on point and on cue. That was very, very encouraging."

Viewers can see for themselves at 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday night. Owens will be tuned in, too, because that'll be the first time he sees the finished product.

And, yes, he'll have his popcorn ready, like he memorably urged fans to do upon joining the Cowboys.

"I think I've got everyone I know tuned in to watch this show. I even sent an e-mail out," he said. "I guarantee you, once people see the show, I'll be getting e-mails and text messages out the wazoo. ... Believe me, it's some funny stuff. It's going to be great."

Even if the reviews are outstanding, Owens won't be giving up his day job any time soon - even if he is in the final year of his contract.

"I know what's the breadwinner for me," he said. "But definitely I'm looking forward to doing some acting after football, in the offseason next year. I think I did well enough that they even may bring me back for some recurring roles. It's a start for me, and I don't like to fail at anything I do."

Walker secret surprises family

Sun, 11 May 2008 03:05 EDT

The early reports that Herschel Walker's new book would reveal he has lived with a multiple-personality disorder sparked a wave of surprise and even disbelief from many who know the former football star.

Walker's father and brother said they had no hint he had a multiple-personality disorder.

Walker's former University of Georgia coach, Vince Dooley, was surprised Walker has been found to have what also is called dissociative identity disorder.

Some critics have said Walker just wanted to bring attention to himself.

Others said he was just weaving a creative element into the book "Breaking Free" to make money.

The reaction hasn't surprised Walker, who also was skeptical when initially told by a doctor that he had DID.

"This is very unknown with people. This is very foreign," Walker said last week. "They don't know about it. Coach Dooley said `I don't know anything about DID, but if it's a personality that plays football, I like it.' "

Walker wrote that his 12 personalities he calls "alters" were created as defense mechanisms, in part because he was bullied as a boy who stuttered and was overweight.

Around the league

ARIZONA: Former lineman Luis Sharpe, 47, was sentenced Friday to six years in prison and four years' probation for a series of drug offenses.

Sharpe played for the St. Louis and Arizona Cardinals from 1982-94 and was a three-time Pro Bowler.

BALTIMORE: The Ravens are doing more than merely fighting for jobs at their first mandatory minicamp under new coach John Harbaugh.

They're fighting each other, too.

Nearly all 85 players in camp were involved in a squabble Saturday that began when offensive tackle Oniel Cousins and defensive tackle Amon Gordon threw punches after running back Allen Patrick was taken down hard on a burst up the middle.

All the players surged toward the middle of the field, and it was nearly two minutes before peace was restored.

"Guys are competing, so tempers flare a little bit," Harbaugh said.

Later during practice, which was held indoors because of rain, defensive backs Corey Ivy and Frank Walker came to blows during a blocking drill.

After the players were separated, veteran cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle spoke with Walker, who signed as a free agent during the offseason after playing with Green Bay in 2007.

"Chill out, man," Rolle said. "There's too much at stake."

Strange what thoughts price at pump evoke

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:23 EDT

Noting the sports world:

• Earlier this week, I was pumping gas. I still had a quarter-tank when I started and yet the numbers soon blinked past $50. That was irritating. You know the feeling. But then I forgot about the annoyance when I saw the exact amount registered on the pump when it cut off automatically: $51.51.

That reminded me of Sam Mills, the former Panthers linebacker and assistant coach who wore No. 51 as a player here and remains the only Carolina player enshrined in the team's Hall of Honor. It has now been three years since Mills passed away at age 45 because of cancer. Sam would have loved watching Jon Beason play.

• Speaking of jersey numbers, do certain ones always remind you of certain athletes when you see the numbers pop up in a real-life situation? I think of Roger Staubach when I see 12, Jake Delhomme when I see 17 and Steve Smith when I see 89. E-mail me with your examples of this happening in the real world -- the more specific, the better. I'll publish some of the best.

• I'm sorry to see Bernie Bickerstaff, the former coach and general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats, leave the organization. Bickerstaff was classy, smart and honest. He knew his team was undermanned in the three seasons he coached the Bobcats, but he certainly coaxed more effort out of his players than Sam Vincent did.

Bickerstaff also had a gift for extreme analogies. Asked once about a substitution in which he took out one underqualified Bobcat and put in another equally underqualified one, Bickerstaff said of himself: "They say a drowning man will grab a razor blade."

• I hope the NFL's "Spygate" saga has a little more juice left in it. I still don't think the Patriots were punished enough for their illegal videotaping of opposing coaches' sideline signals.

Former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh is scheduled to meet with NFL officials Tuesday to talk about the eight videotapes he has handed over to the league. The tapes apparently show the systematic way the Patriots abused the league's videotaping rules for years (Walsh, now a whistle-blower, was once part of the taping).

From media reports, it appears there is no "smoking gun" in the Walsh tapes. But despite some opinions to the contrary, I think they should be enough to make the Patriots forfeit another high draft pick in 2009.

• LeBron James is 8-for-42 in two playoff games against the Boston Celtics entering Game 3 of the Cleveland-Boston series tonight. Meanwhile, a 78-year-old legally blind man from northwest Iowa bowled a perfect game a week ago. This guy could give LeBron some advice.

• Get your boiled peanuts here -- the big race at Darlington is tonight. I'm so glad NASCAR didn't yank its signature series out of Darlington entirely. When you go to that track, you feel the ghosts of NASCAR walking alongside you.

Brother of Jets safety fatally shot in Florida

Fri, 09 May 2008 23:37 EDT

The older brother of New York Jets safety Abram Elam was fatally shot, the third sibling in the family to die by gunfire since 1987.

Riviera Beach police officers were called to the scene of a shooting at about 12:35 p.m. Friday, and found Donald Charles Elam shot in the lower back, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office news release.

Donald Elam, 33, was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Abram Elam's brother, Donald Runner, was fatally shot in 1987. He was 17. Christina Elam, his sister, was shot in 1999.

"Abram learned this afternoon that his brother has been killed; the circumstances of his death are still unclear," the Jets said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Abram and his family."

Donald Elam was once the youngest person in the Palm Beach County indicted on a first-degree murder charge, the Post said. Elam, then 14, was acquitted of the 1989 shooting.

NFL Notebook | Witness supports Benson

Sat, 10 May 2008 08:42 EDT

New details are emerging in support of Chicago Bears' running back Cedric Benson's claim that police mistreated him when he was arrested for boating while intoxicated last Saturday in Texas.

Testimony from an eyewitness, and photographs turned over to Benson's lawyer from Elizabeth Cartwright, a friend of Benson's, support the running back's version of events.

Toby Patch, who was not on the boat, claims he saw police "manhandling" Benson after taking him off the boat. "They ended up -- I don't know why -- but laid him on his back, I heard him say, `Please don't pepper-spray me, please don't pepper-spray me,' " Patch said. "It was uncalled for, it was ludicrous, no point for it."

Patch's version was similar to Cartwright's account.

A Lower Colorado River Authority police report said Benson was cocky, combative and smelling of alcohol. Benson's attorney, Sam Bassett, disputes that.

"I do not believe that Cedric was intoxicated. "I also am concerned that the force used by the officers, particularly the use of pepper spray, was not necessary."

Elsewhere

GREEN BAY: The Packers released Koren Robinson, 28, the latest setback for the receiver trying to resurrect his career after serving an NFL suspension and jail time.

Robinson had 21 catches for 241 yards in nine games last season. He also had 25 kickoff returns for 596 yards. -- Associated Press

NEW ENGLAND: Defensive back Willie Andrews, 24, entered a plea to a marijuana possession charge, but won't face prison time. Andrews admitted there was enough evidence to convict him at trial, but did not plead guilty.

Lowell District Court Judge Neil Walker continued the case for a year, during which time Andrews must speak to student athletes about the dangers of narcotics, pay a $1,000 fine and complete an NFL substance abuse program. -- AP