CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown is trying to produce his own reality show.
Terrell Owens. Chad Ochocinco. Together in Cincinnati.
Brown said Monday that the team has discussed a contract with Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The Bengals passed on the chance to sign the 36-year old receiver after a tryout in March, but have given it more thought now that he remains a free agent.
If Owens accepts the offer, the Bengals would lead the league in reality show stars. Receiver Chad Ochocinco appeared on Dancing With the Stars in the off-season, and has a dating show called Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch currently playing on VH1. Right after Ochocinco’s show comes The T.O. Show.
Brown noted that Owens caught the winning 57-yard touchdown pass in Dallas’ 31-22 victory over the Bengals in 2008.
“I think that I would rather have him line up on our side of the ball than the other side of the ball,” Brown said at the team’s annual preseason luncheon. “I can remember playing Dallas a few years ago when he caught a pass acrossthe middle that won the game for them.
“So I’ve seen him do it. I’ve seen him do it against us. I’d like him to be here and do that against somebody else.”
So would Ochocinco, who is a close friend and lobbied unsuccessfully for the Bengals to sign Owens in March. Instead, they chose receiver Antonio Bryant and gave him a four-year deal.
Ochocinco has resumed his Twitter lobbying to sign Owens. Last March, he dubbed the two of them Batman (Owens) and Robin. He thinks quarterback Carson Palmer, who wears No. 9, has more sway with the front office.
“I’m out of the loop now, i expressed my beliefs on why he should be here and that’s all i can do, [No.] 9 has the real power,” Ochocinco tweeted.
TITANS
Kiffin, USC sued
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans are suing Southern California and Coach Lane Kiffin for “maliciously”luring away assistant running backs coach Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens.
Tennessee Football Inc., the company that owns the Titans, filed the lawsuit Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court against both the university and Kiffin.
The lawsuit accuses Southern California and Kiffin of violating Pola’s contract that required him to have written permission to discuss a job with anyone other than the Titans.
Tennessee hired Pola as running backs coach in February only to lose him Saturday to Southern California as the Trojans’ new offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
Titans coach Jeff Fisher, a Southern California alumnus, said Saturday that Kiffin neglected to make the customary courtesy phone call to let him and the NFL team know he was interested in hiring Pola. Fisher himself had hired Pola, letting go Earnest Byner to free up the spot on his coaching staff.
Pola’s contract ran at least to Feb. 14, 2011, with the NFL in the final year of its current labor agreement with the players.
The move left the Titans without a running backs coach one week before training camp opens, which the lawsuit argues disrupts planning, causes “potential loss of confidence by players” and the loss of salary and benefits already paid to Pola along with “future damage.” NFL
No change for Vick
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - An NFL spokesman said there has been no change in Michael Vick’s playing status, sothe Philadelphia Eagles quarterback reported to training camp Monday as expected.
When asked whether a league investigation of Vick has been completed, Greg Aiello told The Associated Press in an e-mail that the NFL would haveno further comment on Vick at this time.
Vick reiterated on Monday that he has done nothing wrong.
The NFL and the Eagles have been looking into a shooting incident at a Virginia Beach, Va., nightclub, where Vick held his 30th birthday party June 25. Police said no charges will be filed in the incident because of a lack of cooperation by witnesses and the victim.
RAVENS
Eager to go
WESTMINSTER, Md. - The Baltimore Ravens are built to make a run at the Super Bowl - if the key components remain in working order.
The Ravens added several key players during a hectic offseason, including wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth, kicker Shayne Graham and second-round draft pick Terrence Cody, a 360-pound defensive tackle out of Alabama who agreed to termson his first professional contract Monday.
But top draft pick Sergio Kindle, an outside linebacker from Texas, fell down a flight of stairs last week and sustained a head injury that will probably cause him to miss the entire camp.
This is John Harbaugh’s third season as Baltimore’s coach. In each of his first two years, the Ravens advanced to the playoffs but fell short of reaching the Super Bowl. He will resume his quest to get there today.
“My expectations are really, really high - for tomorrow’s practice,” Harbaugh said. “We expect it to be the best practice in the National Football League. That’s how you go about taking care of business. That’s how you get yourself in position to talk about playing in the Super Bowl. ... We have a lot of work to do between now and then.” GIANTS
LB moving to middle
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Keith Bulluck isn’t worried about adjusting to his new surroundings with the New York Giants.
The Meadowlands is a lot closer to his home in New Jersey than Tennessee, and playing middle linebacker for theGiants is just a slight variation of what he did with the Titans in latter part of his 10-year stint.
“I don’t think it’ll be any different here, and I haven’t really even thought twice about it,” Bulluck said Monday.
CHARGERS
RB a no-show
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Chargers opened training camp Monday without Ryan Mathews, the heir apparent to LaDainian Tomlinson.
The 12th pick overall out of Fresno State, Mathews is San Diego’s only draft pick who hasn’t signed.
Asked for an update on negotiations, Coach Norv Turner said: “You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m like you. Just let me know when it’s done.” VIKINGS
Assistant gets promotion
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Minnesota Vikings running backs coach Eric Bieniemy has been given a promotion to assistant head coach for the offense. Bieniemy will continue to be in charge of Adrian Peterson and the rest of the running backs, as he has since joining the staff in 2006.
Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier remains the assistant head coach and Darrell Bevell remains the offensive coordinator.
Bieniemy recently turned down an offer from Southern California to be the offensive coordinator.
Sports, Pages 18 on 07/27/2010