Pat Robertson: Manning injury would be karma for trading Tebow

Televangelist Pat Robertson is not happy with the Denver Broncos trading Tim Tebow to the New York Jets.  So much so, that he is wishing Tebow's replacement Peyton Manning nothing but bad karma.

Robertson— a leader in the Christian Right movement— said Denver treated Tebow "shabbily" after all he did for the "nothing team" last season from his pulpit on the 700 Club on Thursday.

"And you ask yourself, OK, so Peyton Manning was a tremendous MVP quarterback, but he's been injured.  If that injury comes back, Denver will find itself without a quarterback.  And in my opinion, it would serve them right," he said.

Robertson has come to Tebow's defense before.  He blasted Saturday Night Live earlier this year for performing a skit that mocked Tebow's religious beliefs.

Remember, the television preacher also once called the earthquake in Haiti a "blessing in disguise."

Robertson went on singing the praises of Tebow and trashing Denver last night.

"He wins seven games, he brought them [Denver] into the playoffs, for heaven's sakes.  I mean, they were a nothing team .  He rallied them together with spectacular last minute passes and, you know, when they beat Buffalo, I mean Pittsburgh, excuse me it was a tremendous victory."

Sounds like he subliminally has something against the Bills too.

Pittsburgh Mayor 'Tebows' After Losing Bet

It's probably safe to say that not many people in Pittsburgh thought there was a chance in hell that their Mayor Luke Ravenstahl would ever lose a playful wager with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock over last Sunday's playoff game— but there he was, getting down on one knee and striking the contemplative Tebowing pose on Tuesday after losing the bet.

The "Mile High Messiah" strikes again.

Ravenstahl was so confident that his Denver counterpart would end up losing the bet and donning a Steelers jersey while waving a Terrible Towel that he boasted about it in a phone call to Hancock.

"Fortunately for me, I have won more of these than I have lost," Ravenstahl boasted.  "If somehow Denver pulls off a miracle and wins Sunday, I will wear a Denver Broncos jersey and 'Tebow,' I think they call it, in front of a historic landmark here in Pittsburgh."

Ravenstahl— like just about everyone outside Denver— couldn't have foreseen the 29-23 overtime upset by the Broncos on the horizon.

Even insiders inside the Denver mayor's office said they were preparing to purchase a Pittsburgh jersey and Terrible Towel on Monday morning.

Fortunately for Hancock, another Tim Tebow miracle did occur.

Yesterday, the Pittsburgh mayor sheepishly put on the Broncos quarterback's No. 15 jersey and knelt in Roberto Clemente Memorial Park in the pose made famous and often imitated by the Denver Broncos player.

In the meantime, Hancock is figuring out what his wager will be with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino for Saturday's playoff game against the New England Patriots.

Tebowing In Denver Is Back In Style

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos shocked the football world in a historic, 29-23,  overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

After winning the coin toss to begin the extra period, Tebow threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to give the Broncos a surprising AFC wild card victory.

It was the first playoff game in NFL history to use the revised overtime rules which gives both teams a chance to score unless a touchdown is scored on the first possession.

After the victory, a jubilant Tebow hugged his teammates then bent over into his famous "Tebowing" pose for the first time in weeks.

Tebow and the celebrating Broncos players then did a lap around the field slapping hand with the fans who chanted: "Tebow! Tebow! Tebow! while Broncos executive John Elway jumped for joy on the sidelines.

The team had lost three games in a row before backing into the playoffs.

Tebow was lucky to even be in the game at the end because head coach John Fox said during the week that he would yank his starter if he got off to a slow start.

Backup QB Brady Quinn was spotted warming up at the end of the first quarter after Tebow was ineffective at the start of the game.

A 17-point second quarter onslaught by Denver in the span of 5 minutes, 58 seconds began with  30-yard touchdown to Eddie Royal and kept Tebow behind the center.

After the Broncos jumped to a 20-6 lead, the Steelers roared back and tied the game at 23, had momentum and were driving towards field goal range at tend of regulation. 

In the second half, Fox milked the clock while a costly Willis McGahee helped the Steelers get back in the game after a bad ruling by officials on a fumbled lateral gave the visiting team new life.

The Steelers could have won the game by taking a chance on a n NFL record 66-yard field goal with :03 seconds left in regulation,  but opted to try for a TD instead.  Ben Roethlisberger was sacked on the play and the game headed into overtime.

Tebow came out throwing in the extra period and that's all it took.

Next up for Tebow and the Broncos, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Expect to see a lot of Tebowing next week in Colorado.

Carolina Panthers Receiver Gives Photographer Close-Up Of His Cleats

In the waning moments of Thursday night's Pittsburgh Steelers-Carolina Panthers exhibition game, Panthers Darvin Adams caught a pass from Jimmy Clausen and rolled into a sideline photographer trying to get the shot of a lifetime.  Too bad for Adams, he was out of bounds and, even worse for the aspiring Ansel Adams, his f/stop meant  face/stop.

While Adams rolled out of bounds with the catch, he planted his foot squarely in the face of the photographer sitting alongside the end zone.

Pittsburgh went on to win the game, 33-17, and hopefully the cameraman will use his telephoto lens the next time.

Pages From Packers' Playbook Found Scattered In Green Bay Neighborhood

Pages from the World Champion Green Bay Packers' playbook were found scattered along an east side Green Bay street on Monday morning.  The same highly-confidential plays which steered Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.

The top-secret pages are meant for players' and coaches' eyes only.

Sanitation workers gathered up the wind-swept pages along Monroe Street after they apparently fell from a truck.  The playbooks were tossed into recycling bins by team employees after practice.

The Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals in an exhibition game at Lambeau Field Friday night.

Waste Management, the company which handles the recycling, says over two cubic-yards fell from the back of one of its trucks.  They said nothing was damaged and nobody was hurt.

Team employees usually shred sensitive material, like pages from the playbook, before disposing of them.

The Packers asked that anyone who finds the pages please recycle the paper.  Cheeseheads do that kind of thing.

No, that wasn't Brian Urlacher dressed in a garbage-man's jumpsuit grabbing some of the loose papers and it's not known if any of pages were from Rodgers' black book.

Eli Manning's Silence About Plaxico Burress Spoke Volumes

It looks like Plaxico Burress found a fly in his soup during last night's dinner meeting with Tom Coughlin-- and that fly's name might be Eli Manning.

Burress can cook up every reason in the book to explain why he spurned the New York Giants for their Meadowlands cellmates--I mean stadium-mates--the New York Jets, but the absence of any public support from Manning down the stretch might have swung Burress's decision from Big Blue to Gang Green.

If the Giants quarterback is still blaming Burress, and his arrest for gun possession, for costing the team the 2008 season and Manning's chance to get back-to-back Super Bowl titles, he's barking up the wrong goal post.  Ironically, Manning's lack of vocal support for the return of his one-time favorite target could cost him this season as well.

The Giants team is getting old and, now that the Philadelphia Eagles have buffed up their defensive backfield-- with the signing of DB-extraordinaire, Nnamdi Asomugha-- and the uncertain return of receiver Steve Smith to the Giants, the loss of Burress may have just given a huge advantage to the Eagles in their two division game match-ups.

 Coughlin seemed friendlier than a flair-covered waiter at Bennigan's, leading up to his dinner with Burress, while Manning played the snobby waiter at a French bistro.

All week Roethlisberger openly campaigned for Burress' return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.   Manning only mumbled a few standard comments.

"You just don't want distractions," said Manning.  "Distractions, whatever they may be, can hurt a team.  If you're spending your time concerned about something else, bringing your attention away from the opponent on your preparation, that's considered a distraction."

I tell you what distraction is Eli.  Distraction is being asked 'Why didn't you lobby harder for Burress' about five-thousand times this week and looking for a top-notch wide-out in the fourth quarter this season.

Make no mistake, Manning supports Burress' second chance and even made a call to his former wide-out while he was in prison, but hasn't bothered to jump on the "We Want Plax" bandwagon.

By all accounts, the meeting with Coughlin went swimmingly.  The head coach was smiling yesterday and put it bluntly, "The meeting went well."

Not well enough, as Burress's "fully-guaranteed," one-year deal for $3.017 million with the Jets the next day will attest.

Let's give Manning the benefit of a doubt.  Maybe the silent treatment wasn't such a bad idea.  I don't remember Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez, standing in Times Square singing a tribute to the ex-con and look where Burress ended up.

"I never really lobbied for anybody," said Manning before the meeting.  "So if this is the right spot for Plaxico, if the Giants and Coach Coughlin are pleased with his attitude and after talking to him, then [I'm] happy to have him."

In the end, here's what Manning's silence about signing Burress said.

No distractions.  Burress' return to the Giants will disrupt an already shortened training camp.  It's about the team, not one player.

Why all the fuss over a soon to be (August 12)  34 year-old receiver who hasn't played a down in 2 1/2 years?

How is a guy who was never a fan of Coughlin's discipline and structured system going to feel about  routine after almost two full years in lockup?  Does the prison stint help Burress cope with Coughlin's Captain Bligh act?

Finally, Manning doesn't want to insult his current group of receivers.  After all, he threw for over 4,000 yards last year and has two Pro Bowl-caliber wide-outs in Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks.  Joined by Mario Manningham, Manning believes he has the nucleus of a solid receiving corp.

"I like our receivers here, I think we have a great crew, very talented, they work hard," he said.  "Can you have too many good receivers?  No, I don't think so.  I'm going about my business and preparing for myself.

Hey, everybody wanted little Eli to man up and be more assertive--so there you go.

Maybe Burress would have picked the Giants if Manning took the time to drop a dime or, just maybe, Coughlin put that fly in the soup.

Tony Dungy and Justin Tuck Think Giants Would Be Good Fit For Plaxico

It looks like Plaxico Burress' two former teams, the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, are the front runners for the talented wideout's services this season.  Former Colts head coach, Tony Dungy,  said New York would be a " great home" for Burress' new start.

The New York Daily News reported that Dungy believes, if Burress and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin can put aside their past differences, New York would be the ideal fit for the 33 year-old Burress second go-round in the NFL.

Dungy, acting as Burress' mentor, said his charge needs a "good support system" to get back on track and the troubled wideout already has built a strong foundation with the team owners, Steve Tisch and John Mara.

"I think Mr. Tisch, Mr. Mara, he has a good relationship with them," said Dungy.  And he has a great, great relationship with a lot of the other players that are still there."

Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck agrees. He believes the two men can hammer out their differences.

"Anytime you have a dispute between two people, both people need to talk it out like men," said Tuck.  I think that's what we have on schedule, so we'll see what happens."

It looks like Burress' affection for Rex Ryan and the Jets has faded and now Burress is set to meet with the Giants tomorrow night before heading to Pittsburgh for a meeting with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

"I think [the Giants] would be a great kind of family organization for him," said Dungy.

The Giants have already reached out to Burress, even after he was let go by the team for his 2008 arrest for gun possession, subsequent conviction and stint in prison.

Mara drove up to the upstate New York correctional center to pay Burress a visit behind bars and quarterback Eli Manning was one of the first players to welcome his former-favorite target back after his release this spring.

Manning must be drooling at the prospect of throwing to Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and possibly Burress.  Can you say Air Eli?

Now Burress has to bury the hatchet with his former coach and antagonist, the disciplinarian Coughlin.

I can only imagine how Friday's night meeting will go.  It's hard to imagine how Burress, just released from almost two years in stir, is going to thrive under the strict Coughlin.  It's like going from life under one prison warden to a head coach who is sometimes called one.

Forget the steak and potatoes, the real main dish on Friday night's dinner table is the thousands of dollars in fines, benching and two-week suspension for a rules violation handed down to Plax by Coughlin in the past.

Can Burress abide by Coughlin's tough love rules and avoid the suspensions and fines he accrued in the past?  Until last week, there was a perception that Coughlin didn't even want Burress back, now they are breaking bread together.

The "mellower" Coughlin just signed a one year extension to his contract and the Giants are notorious for not releasing a coach during the final year of a deal so, if this relationship gets stormy again, the old man isn't going anywhere.

The post NFL lockout has left teams scrambling for stability.  The Giants are familiar with Burress and Burress still has a veteran's knowledge of the Giants playbook. 

To Dungy, familiarity will be important to Burress' comeback.

"People need to understand that it is a little bit different," said Dungy.  "It's not just kind of like a free-agent coming into your team.  He has to regrow and redevelop.  You just want that support there, and I think the Giants would be one of the good teams for that."

Whether or not the Giants become Burress' halfway house to resuming a life on the outside remains to be seen.  Maybe the Giants just want to keep Burress' slim chance of hooking up with another "second-chancer," Michael Vick and division rival the Philadelphia Eagles at bay?

It won't be easy for Burress in New York.  You'll probably see more photos of Burress on the street than on the field and night out at a restaurant will be in every gossip page in New York.  Even if people don't hit the floor every time he reaches into his sweatpants pockets, every paparazzi will hit their camera shutter release.

How those scenarios fit into Dungy's theory is speculative at best.  Maybe New York isn't he best place to quietly return to society. 

The Giants team leaders don't think so and have given Burress a vote of confidence.  Manning confirmed speaking with Burress about coming back.

"I don't know what's going to happen with that," said Manning.  "I know he and coach Coughlin might meet sometime.  We'll just see what happens after that."

Tuck says Burress would be welcomed back by everyone.

"I can't speak for Coughlin or Plax," said the defensive end.  "It's well documented they've bumped heads in the past.  Hopefully a little time apart has rekindled the love they share for each other."

Wow.  The words 'Coughlin, Plax and rekindled love' in a quote.  I'm going to tear up.