Who the heck is Stanley Freeman Druckenmiller?

If you watch CNBC on a daily basis and read each edition of the Wall Street Journal, you might, and I really do mean MIGHT, have heard of a guy named Stanley Freeman Druckenmiller before the beginning of this week. Now we all know the name. But who the heck is Stanley Freeman Druckenmiller? The best report of who he is was done by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review two days ago. Here are just a few facts from the story:

"Golf handicap? Nine."

"He earned degrees in English literature and economics from elite Bowdoin College in Maine, where fellow students recalled him as a genius who was destined to be a professor."

"He once thanked Dan Rooney for having winning seasons."

"According to federal filings, since 1992 the Druckenmillers have doled out more than $840,000, with 68 percent of it going to Republicans."
And there is so much more in this article. Read it. And then you will know a heck of a lot more about this guy.
With that said, it doesn't seem right if the Rooneys are no longer owners of the Steelers. The old man bought it for $2,500. I'm not a Steelers lover or a Steelers hater. Just an NFL fan who loves the idea that this organization has been in same hands for the past 75-plus years. You almost thought Dan Rooney broke out his roll of quarters, nickles and dimes to figure out who the team could afford. And then the team and their fans always got more than their money's worth. Under the Rooneys, the Steelers have always appeared to be a small hometown business. They're the George Baileys of the world. Druckenmiller sounds like a wonderful guy, but hopefully the Rooneys' wonderful life in the NFL will continue.

Art Rooney Jr. may hold fate of his brother Dan

The Associated Press is reporting the Rooney ownership may come down to the man Dan Rooney fired years ago -- Art Rooney Jr. According to the story, "Art Jr., the only other Rooney brother who worked full time for the team, was so skilled as a scouting director that his drafts in the late 1960s and early 1970s were largely responsible for the Steelers winning four Super Bowls in six years." Let's fire up the theme music to "Dallas." This could get interesting. Where's J.R. Ewing when you need him?

Notes of interest and other stuff

Not much in the news lately, except Brett Favre stories about him going to the Jets, Bears, Vikings, Panthers, Falcons ...

The folks over at Yahoo!'s Shutdown Corner report how in Plaxico Burress's new book (Giant: The Road to the Super Bowl) he writes about the rumors of surrounding his old Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Kordell Stewart.

And while we are talking about sex and Jessica Simpson (see video below), the folks over at cakerockstheparty.blogspot.com take a look at four NFL romances -- Tony Romo (with Simpson), Thomas Jones (with Meagan Good), Ben Roethlisberger (with Missy Peregrym) and Reggie Bush (with Kim Kardashian) and the effects on their teams.

Remember Bernie Kosar? Always one-step away from a championship game -- i.e. "The Fumble" and "The Drive." Well, he's back. This time it's the Arena Football League. His Cleveland Gladiators are one step from the Arena League Super Bowl. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Bill Livingston takes a look at Kosar's time with the Glads.

Nice story over at ESPN.com by Hashmark's Matt Mosley on Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano. I love the photo of Sparano and his parents. Just shows you how normal all these NFL coaches are. And I like the fact that he started dating his wife of 30 years when they were each barely teenagers. Almost makes you want to root for him and the Dolphins. Check it out.

Montana vs. Gretzky: That's what it will be at Oaks Christian High School (Calif.) this season, according to the Ventura County Star. Nicholas Montana, a 6-foot-2 junior quarterback and the son of the great Joe Montana, transferred to the same school where son Trevor Gretzky is also a quarterback. Of course, both will have to beat out the present starting QB Tony Macarena. By the way, this is the same high school were another great one went to -- Jimmy Clausen.

Ravens name their ravens: "Rise" and "Conquer."

Happy birthday to our favorite girlfriend

It's been more than a week since I have posted one of our favorite videos -- Jessica Simpson dancing with just about nothing on. Happy 28th birthday to Tony Romo's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson. We all know it's just a matter of time before he tells her to hits the showers, but this 32-second video always reminds us why he is sticking with her despite the headaches she causes him. We were tipped off to Simpson's birthday by Stiles Points, who suggested we re-run the ever-popular video. Dance, Jessica, dance.

News

Kids, not the media, hounded Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy with questions about Brett Favre. When the first kid asked about Favre, McCarthy wanted to know which member of the media put her up to it. Reminds you of when John McCain was asked by a kid about his age. McCain said: “Thanks for the question, you little jerk. You’re drafted.” We suspect McCain and McCarthy were joking in their answers.

Steelers update

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller is trying to buy shares of the team from three or four of the Rooney brothers. The story states: "If Mr. Druckenmiller purchased the shares of three brothers, he would own 48 percent of the Steelers, more than either Dan Rooney or the McGinley family, but still not enough to have controlling interest. If he purchased the shares of four brothers -- a possibility according to at least two sources -- he would have 64 percent and become the principal owner. That is what Dan Rooney and Art Rooney II are trying to prevent."

Stuff I stumbled upon ...

Jessica Simpson, Tony Romo's girlfriend, ran into a sign for the post office while the pair were leaving a Seaside, Fla., bar over the Fourth of July weekend. She was with Romo, and he gave her a hug after the run in with the sign.

Reported in the Las Vegas Review-Journal by Norm Clarke recently, Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson was at the Tao nightclub over the Fourth of July weekend. Clarke also said sighted was: "New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, watching the UFC fight at the 40/40 Club at Palazzo on Saturday."

Remember Dave Logan? Former wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns? He was one of the Kardiac Kids. Well, nowadays he is coaching high school football at Mullen High School near Denver. According to NFLPlayers.com he has reached "the Class 5A state semifinals in each of his five seasons, capturing the title in 2004, and compiling a record of 61-7 during that stretch." He is also the radio voice of the Denver Broncos.

Steelers update

ESPN's John Clayton answers a series of questions about the possible sale of the Pittsburgh Steelers:
Q: Why do the Rooneys have to restructure?
Q: Is there any fear the Steelers might leave Pittsburgh?
Q: Will the Steelers stay under the direction of Dan and Art II?
Q: How is the league office handling the situation?
Q: What will be the final resolution?

Love this quote from a New York Times story about a possible sale: “Negotiations are ongoing between the parties, and who knows when it will get done?” the financial consultant said. “But right now it’s a complete mess. These guys can’t agree on anything.”

Athletes who could play in the NFL

The folks over the Yahoo!'s Shutdown Corner have an excellent feature going: Athletes who could have played in the NFL. So far, they are at No. 7 -- Allen Iverson. In short, and for being short, Iverson could play. He was a quarterback, safety and kick returner. Below is a video with clips of him playing in high school. Awesome. One person described him by saying: "Before there was Michael Vick, there was Allen Iverson." Honorable mention went to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a kick returner, Steve Nash as a quarterback, Milton Bradley as a linebacker, Shaquille O'Neal as an offensive tackle and Sidney Crosby as a quarterback. It's unclear whether any of these guys actually played football. I'll save the rest of the list for the Shutdown Corner, but Iverson is the most interesting pick so far. The countdown started at 11 and is now at No. 7 with Iverson.

T.O.'s girlfriend

Apparently, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens has a new girlfriend. He attended the premier or the movie Hancock with Serinda Swan. Seems like she works for Absolutepoker.com. Here is a video of her photo shoot, which is also an ad for Abolutepoker.com

Steelers for sale?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting the Pittsburght Steelers may be up for sale at some point. Goldman-Sachs valued the team as being worth $800 million to 1.2 billion. The team has always been owned by the Rooney family. Dan Rooney runs the team, but it is owned by him and his four brothers. Interesting reading. I didn't know the Rooney also owned Yonkers Raceway and it casino. New owner? Stanley Druckenmiller, a billionaire chairman of Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Capital Management.

In a report by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the team will not be relocated. In the story, Darren Rovell, a reporter with CNBC said: "There is zero-percent chance the Steelers will move out of Pittsburgh if they get new owners. I will drink six bottles of Heinz ketchup, back to back, in 10 minutes, if I'm wrong on that." Also according to the story: "The Steelers were valued at $929 million by Forbes Magazine in September."

A nice critique of the Steelers possible sale by the Sporting News' Albert Breer, who just joined the magazine. He talks about winning the Rooney way. He writes: "The Steelers play in a seven-year-old stadium and boast a relatively small amount of debt. They were beacons for fiscal responsibility and long-range planning way before other NFL teams realized that a fleet of Brinks trucks couldn't buy championships in the era of free agency. Rooney hired young coaches and executives and let them grow, and Mike Tomlin is the team's third head coach since the Nixon administration. Because of "The Rooney Way," the Steelers have won. And won. And won."

CNBC's Darren Rovell reports that one person who will not be interested in the Steelers is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who, by the way, is a Pittsburgh native. Rovell writes: "Cuban told me this morning that he didn’t think small markets could excel in the current cap based system the NFL has." He also says that if the team is sold under a Barack Obama administration, there could be higher capital gains taxes. This is interesting because I thought Dan Rooney was backing Obama.

Favre report from his man-friend (Peter King)

Peter King of Sports Illustrated almost sorta' criticizes his boyhood idol Brett Favre: "The one thing I don't believe Favre understands yet is the tumult which will greet his return to the Packers, or to another NFL team. There are Packer fans who have moved on, and wish he would do the same. He doesn't realize fully -- yet -- that Brett Favre returning to the Packers would bug a slew of Packerphiles who wish he'd make a decision and stick with it and ride off into the sunset with his glory intact." King, who seems to have a crush on Favre at times, says the best team for Favre is the Minnesota Vikings, but don't expect the Packers to trade him to a team in the division.
In honor of King's crush on Favre, we decided to run the "I have a crush ... on Obama" video. A classic, which has had nearly 9 millions views on YouTude.

Features of interest

Peter Schrager of Foxsports.com lists a question for each of the 32 NFL teams. Some of the questions include: Do the Bengals even stand a chance at the playoffs this year? Is the Bears offense the worst unit in the entire league? Can the Pats go undefeated in 2008? Did the Raiders pay too much for Javon Walker? Is this Alex Smith/Mike Martz marriage going to work for the 49ers?

You are just starting to get focused on the upcoming NFL season, and the folks over at nfldraftguys.com are already focusing on next year's NFL draft. They list the top runnings in the 2009 draft. It's fairly indepth. Their blue chippers include: Clemson's James Davis and Nebraska's Marlon Lucky. If you are a draft geek, there's a lot to read here.

Roger Rotter of Foxsports.com lists the top 30 quarterbacks. It's a fantasy football list, but it's alway interesting to see where QBs land on a list. The New England Patriots' Tom Brady at the top and the Chicago Bears' Rex Grossman at the bottom.

“The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings.”

Sports columnist and broadcaster Dan Cook, 81, died Thursday. He was best known for the saying: “The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings.” He is remembered by the San Antonio Express-News (where he spent 51 years) as one who interviewed "sports' greatest legends, from Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey to Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Tom Landry." There's a nine-minute clip on YouTube of his last broadcast.

Summer reading

The New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano (aka The Big Screen) shares his summer reading list. Mostly New York Giants-centric books.

ESPN.com's DJ Gallo of Page 2 offers a longer list of summer reading, but with with just a few NFL books.

Lou Gehrig, 69 years later

I know this is an NFL blog, but this is the 69th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's speech. The greatest sports speech of all-time. Here's the full text version of the farewell speech, which is quite a speech because it seems he did it without any notes:

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.
"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Tidbits of interest

Alex Marvez of Fox Sports writes about NFL Europa on the first anniversary of the league's demise. Most know Kurt Warner spent time there and in the Arena Football League. But there were others. Marvez writes: "Adam Vinatieri -- regarded as the most clutch kicker in Super Bowl history -- parlayed a 1996 stint with Amsterdam into a New England Patriots roster spot. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo also spent time with the Admirals in 2001 en route to becoming a 2008 Pro Bowl special teams player."

Clifton Brown of the Sporting News has a long piece on Mike Martz seeking redemption in San Francisco as the 49ers' offensive coordinator. Brown writes: "Martz is running the 49ers' offense, and the fates of two men (head coach Mike Nolan and starting quarterback Alex Smith) seemingly rest in his hands." In the story, Dick Vermeil is very direct on Martz's importance to the St. Louis Rams' efforts in Super Bowl XXXIV: "I don't think an offensive coordinator has ever had a bigger impact on a team in one season. We wouldn't have won a Super Bowl without him. It's that simple."

Ray Buck of the Star-Telegram takes a long look at former Dallas Cowboys receiver Bob Hayes and why he isn't in the Hall and why maybe he should be. Hayes finished his career with 371 catches for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns. More impressive was the 20.0 yards per catch by Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes.

More on Favre's itch

The only good to come out of this Brett Favre itch thing is that people are talking about the NFL right now -- July Fourth weekend.

The Shutdown Corner over at Yahoo! wonders what would be so wrong if the Green Bay Packers told Brett Favre to stick it. One word: Amen.

Adam Schefter of NFL.com says: "If Brett Favre does decide to return to the NFL, the Packers will have to decide whether to keep him, trade him, or release him. From the moment the league receives the letter, it would give the Packers approximately 24 hours to either activate or release Favre, an NFL spokesman confirmed Thursday."

An interesting interview on the NFL Network with Favre's old quarterbacks coach, Steve Mariucci. Mariucci said he thinks we are going to be talking about this for a while. He also said quarterback Aaron Rodgers has really picked it up since Favre has left. He said he can't see Favre calling the Packers and saying, "Hey, make room for me." We shall see.

Clifton Brown of the Sporting News tells Brett Favre to stay put. He says: "Favre played better than almost anyone expected last season, and maybe he can do it again. But the older he gets, the harder it will be for him to play at the same level. Sure, it was about a zillion degrees below zero in that playoff game against the Giants, but in the second half, Favre looked old, frozen, and tired, while Eli Manning looked like he could have played all night."

ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert says that teams struggle the following year after losing a Hall Of Fame quarterback. Seifer said: "Not surprisingly, the quarterback's team posted a better record the following year in only seven of the 17 instances. Otherwise, the team fared worse or the same. The Packers can't do much better than last season's 13-3 mark, but it's nevertheless worth noting the hardships most teams face when replacing a future Hall of Famer." Statistically, 17 examples isn't enough to prove your case. Also, most people want to go out on top, so when you post a 13-3 record like Farve did last season, you think that maybe it is a good way to leave -- on top.

Favre's itch

Now Brett Favre is denying his itch. Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris, who started some of this speculation about Favre's return, said: "Aaron (Rodgers) is our quarterback. Brett's retired. But if he wanted to come back, there would be some guys who wouldn't mind it. I would welcome him back with open arms."

Packers to Favre: No mas? That's what Green Bay Press Gazette columnist Mike Vandermause says: "It's difficult to turn your back on a future Hall of Fame quarterback like Favre, arguably the greatest player in the nearly 90-year history of the team. But there are indications the Packers might be willing to do that." He says there may be only one solution: "The Packers should welcome Favre back, but open the competition with Rodgers for the starting job. May the best quarterback win." Hmmm.

Hashmarks over at ESPN gives us a look at all angles of the Favre itch.

Hashmarks also speculates that Favre should wait a season due to the Madden curse.

Tidbits of interest

John Walters of NBCSports.com says that maybe it is time Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis came clean on what he knows about Spygate. In the story, Walters says: "There exists no smoking gun, no tapes, no evidence that might link any video shenanigans or obviating of NFL rules that Weis allegedly benefited from in New England with any of his or his staff's actions in South Bend. However, by refusing to address the issue, Weis and the Irish allow room for scrutiny. To quote Thomas Cromwell in A Man For All Seasons, 'This silence was not silence at all, but most eloquent denial.' "

It's always nice to read about NFL Film -- no matter what. The Houston Chronicle takes a look at Steve Sabol and company titled: NFL Films no dinosaur,

USA Today writes that the Browns are starting to feel the pressure of the high expectations. The Browns are on national TV five times this season. The Browns nearly missed the playoffs last season, but one road block this season may be the tough early schedule. The Browns open with the Dallas Cowboys, then follow that with three division games (Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Raven and Cincinnati Bengals -- with two of these games on the road)and then face the Super Bowl champions New York Giants.

News of the day

Former Detriot Lions coach Steve Mariucci on his former boss: "Matt Millen has changed 58 coaches already, and he's now finally changing players." One word: Ouch. What I would find really interesting is if the 58 coaches is the right number. When I first read the quote, I figured that he just threw a number (like 58) out there. Then I started to wonder whether that was the true number. That would say a lot about Mariucci's dislike for Millen -- if that wasn't already clear by the quote.

This A-Rod swings and misses: Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers says: "I love playing in Green Bay. I love the city of Green Bay." Not much of a story, until you realize what he says in a Sports Illustrated story hitting your mailbox this week: "I don't feel I need to sell myself to the fans. They need to get on board now or keep their mouths shut." Can someone get a quote from Peter King and see if he or Brett Favre wish to respond?

The Associated Press reports: "Offensive lineman Demetrius Bell, the first of the Buffalo Bills' three seventh-round picks and estranged son of former NBA star Karl Malone, signed with Buffalo on Tuesday." Bell is listed at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds.

Dallas Cowboys stuff

There are a lot of blogs by NFL beat writers, but the best in my opinion the Dallas News' blog on the Cowboys. It is always load with news. I just found three interesting things on it.

One, linebacker Bobby Carpenter is in a video with his friend singer Karli Whetstone. The song title? "Hey, Cowboy." I will leave it up to you to decide if you like the song. What the Dallas News didn't say was that Whetstone recently married Carpenter's former Ohio State teammate Doug Datish, who is a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Former Buckeye and present Green Bay linebacker A.J. Hawk was the best man. Groomsmen were Carpenter and Troy Smith.

Two, the commerical for HBO's Hardknocks is out. The show's topic this season? The Cowboys.

Three, according to The Sporting News, Wade Phillips is already on the hot seat. Well, to be honest, I think we already knew that. But the season is still two months away and the stories are already starting. You can thank Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones for that. To make matters worse, The Sporting News ranks the top 10 coaches on the hot seat with Phillips at No. 1. Lane Kiffin is locked in at No. 2. I thought he was already gone.

Sapp to Dance with Stars?

The former defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers told the St. Petersburg Times that he's interested in appearing on Dancing with the Star. Sapp said: "I could hang out in L.A. for a few weeks. My daughter would love it. There's nothing wrong with my smile. I don't think I speak Ebonics. I think I will (do the show)." For a few weeks? Doesn't sound like he has much confidence in his dancing skills. Sapp showed off his Beyonce-like dancing skills once when he scored a touchdown on a pass play while with the Bucs.

Was it Derrick Martin or not?

Many of you probably never even heard of Derrick Martin. And what Derrick Martin are we talking about? The one that plays cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens said that he wasn't arrested at the Cleveland airport for marijuana possession. But someone by that name was. Hmmmm. In due time, this thing will work itself out.

Notes of interest

Here's a link to the starting dates of all the NFL camps.

Does anyone know who I am? We do now. Reports out of Boston say that Jacqueline Kent Cooke, daughter of late Washington Redskins owner and billionaire Jack Kent Cooke, used the "Do-you-know-who-I-am?" card on police over the weekend. Channel 5 out of Boston reports: "Police said Cooke pulled up her skirt to moon the officer, and then gave him the middle finger, before eventually getting into the BMW and starting the engine." She was charged with operating under the influence.

Tony Mandarich is a photographer. At least that's what on205th.com is reporting. Tell the kids to leave the room, because he likes taking photos of hot women. There are sample photos on the on205th.com site. Plus, Mandarich has a site, too. It's called Mandarich Models.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com ranks the 10 greatest running backs of all-time with the help of Don Shula, Marv Levy, Emmitt Thomas, Jack Bushofsky, Dan Reeves, Jerry Richardson, Robert Smith and Floyd Reese. Jim Brown is No. 1, of course. And whether you like it, O.J. Simpson is No. 8. Most of you youngsters out there probably never heard of No. 9 on the list. Enjoy.

The votes are in and New England's Rodney Harrison is the winner. The NFL head coaches voted in an ESPN survey. Of the coaches, 31 of the 32 coaches participated in some form -- with only 18 casting votes for the dirtiest player. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was voted the brightest offensive player. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas was tabbed as the brightest defensive player. As for best owner, Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Pat Bowlen of the Denver Broncos lost a close one to Dan Rooney of the Pittsbugh Steelers. Congrats to Ward, Thomas, Rooney, and, I guess, Harrison.

Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review-Journal spotted a lot of athletes out in Vegas this weekend (like LeBron James, Mike Tyson, Sugar Shane Mosley, Carmelo Anthony, Luke Walton, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Gary Payton), but the lone NFL player was the Oakland Raiders' Bo Collins. Not sure who Collins is, but Clarke said he was there.

It was reported over the weekend by the Janesville Gazette in Wisconsin, that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson were spotted in a Janesville restaurant Friday night. So they are still together. Can I get a woooooooo? That gives us another reason to run the following video, which we suspect is the reason why Romo has not dumped Simpson -- yet.