The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday is now behind the Dallas Cowboys and now it is time to look ahead to the New York Giants. The Eagles loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things but the Giants game will mean everything.

The most important thing for the Cowboys, and this is especially true of the Eagles loss, is to come into the Giants’ matchup at 100-percent. That means that losing to the Eagles, because they rested Tony Romo and Felix Jones, was exactly the right decision. Dallas also has to hope that defensive players, like cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebackers Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware are also ready to go.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo injured his hand on this second pass attempt of the Eagles’ game when he knocked it against the helmet of a rushing Jason Babin. It was really the closest that Babin, the NFL sack leader, got to a Dallas quarterback in the game, which says great things about that maligned offensive line.

X-rays were negative and the hand bruised and swelled. It is thought to be broken vessels in the hand but it should be healed and ready to go for the big Giants’ game. The hope is that there is no soreness in the hand. Romo has not thrown an interception since Week 12 against Miami and he has eight touchdown passes since that game.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones had back-to-back 100-yard games heading into the Eagles matchup. However, early in the week he showed up on the injury report with a tight hamstring. When this started is unknown, but once Romo left the game and Dallas learned the Giants won, they pulled Jones out to allow him to rest his leg. There should be no worries here as Jones averaged 6-yards a carry before leaving the game.

Mike Jenkins

Mike Jenkins has been battling injuries all season but Dallas needs him in the lineup against the Giants. With the playmakers that New York has, and Eli Manning able to throw the ball all over the field, the Cowboys secondary needs all the help it can get.

DeMarcus Ware

You can’t get Ware out of the lineup. Even after Dallas learned that the Giants won, and the Eagles game meant nothing, he remained in the game and finished with two more sacks, moving his total to 18 on the season. He has been dealing with a neck injury but has not missed a game. He needs two more sacks to tie his own personal best.

Sean Lee

Sean Lee injured his hand in the first game with Philadelphia. He missed one week and has been playing with a cast ever since. In this game, he injured his hamstring. He says he could have come back into the game but didn’t because of the Giants win. He finished with five tackles before leaving the game. He says he will be ready for the Giants.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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The Dallas Cowboys lost DeMarco Murray for the season in their loss to the New York Giants, one of many injury losses for the Cowboys’ team in Week 14.

The most serious injury was to Murray, who was a large part of the team’s four-game winning streak that led them to the top of the NFC East division rankings. Without Murray, the chance of regaining their composure and knocking off the Giants at the end of the season is slim.

Dallas signed Sammy Morris on Dec. 13 to take Murray’s place in the lineup and he will back up Felix Jones for the rest of the season. Morris is not expected to do too much in the game plan except give Jones some rest to help preserve him for the playoff run. The 11-year veteran played in 16 games for New England in 2010 and only finished the season with 56 rushing yards and 77 through the air.

Even more distressing is the injuries to defensive players, including Mike Jenkins and Barry Church. With Terrance Newman starting to give up big plays in the secondary once again, these are huge losses for Dallas. Jenkins missed four games in a row, ironically the four-game winning streak for Dallas, before returning in Week 13. Jenkins has only 19 tackles on the season and one interception but provides needed depth in the secondary.

Church, used mainly in the nickel defense, ended up on the injured reserve on Dec. 13. He separated his shoulder against the Giants and Dallas felt it was better to find a replacement. Church finished the year with 28 tackles and no turnovers. Dallas signed Mana Silva from the Buffalo practice squad to replace Church on the roster, although he won’t see much playing time.

Center Phil Costa left the game with a concussion and since Dallas uses the shotgun regularly, that might be a loss to watch carefully. Rookie Kevin Kowalski replaced him in the Giants’ game.

Finally, the big scare was when DeMarcus Ware continued to come off the field late in the Giants’ comeback. Ware came into the game limited with a stinger and had to continue to come out to remain at full strength for the rest of the game. Ware finished the Giants’ game with four tackles and no sacks and looks to bounce back in Week 15 against Tampa Bay.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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The Dallas Cowboys were on a four game winning streak and headed into what looked to be an easy win against Arizona. The New York Giants had lost three straight and looked like they would drop a fourth to drop two spots below Dallas in the NFC East. By the time Dec. 4 ended, Dallas had lost to Arizona in overtime while New York fell to the undefeated Green Bay Packers.

Now, the Sunday night football game in Week 14 between Dallas and New York will determine, for one week at least, the NFC East leader. Dallas had the chance to create separation between them and the Giants and failed to do it against the Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Giants gave the Packers their toughest game of the season.

Despite a four-game losing streak for the Giants and a Dallas team that has won four of their last five, it seems like New York is coming into Dallas with the advantage.

On Nov. 13, Dallas blew out the Buffalo Bills 44-7. After that they beat Washington (4-8) in overtime, Miami (4-8) on a last second field goal and then lost to Arizona (5-7) in overtime. Now, optimistic fans can say Dallas hit teams who were on hot streaks.

Arizona had won three of four heading into Dallas including a win over Philadelphia. Miami was on a three-game winning streak and just knocked off Oakland to make it three of four, Dallas their only loss. Washington was a hated rival and records rarely matter when playing each other. But those are excuses.

The New York Giants need no excuses. In their last five games, they beat New England (9-3) before losing four straight to San Francisco (10-2), Philadelphia (4-8), New Orleans (9-3) and Green Bay (12-0). If you call Washington a rival game for Dallas you have to do the same for Philadelphia and the Giants. The other three losses were to division winners.

Dallas has struggled to beat hot teams who are also-ran’s in the NFL. The Giants have lost to divisional winners and the Saints were the only bad loss of the bunch. New York is tested and ready to retake the NFC East. Dallas has a lot of work to do if they want to overcome these sleeping Giants.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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The 49ers are 7-1, the second-best record in the league, and are widely considered one of the surprises of this NFL season.

Well, not by everyone.

Even though he spent only one season there in 2010, Giants backup quarterback David Carr was more surprised that the 49ers were 6-10 last season than by their seemingly sudden ascension to pro football’s elite in the last two months.

“They’re a very talented team,” Carr said this past week as the Giants prepared to face the 49ers in San Francisco on Sunday afternoon. “I said that when I got there. If they’re not the most talented team in the league, they’re one of them. They just needed some direction, and they got it.”

Giants center David Baas spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers. His teams were below .500 in five of those seasons and 8-8 once.

“It’s definitely going to be a tough challenge,” he said of facing the 49ers. “Everybody might not have said that a couple of years ago, but they’re definitely doing things different and it’s working for them.”

It was only this summer that quarterback Alex Smith was teetering on busthood, coach Jim Harbaugh was going to be a flop in his first season because of the lockout and Frank Gore was an injury-plagued running back.

Now the 49ers are a team that could mathematically clinch the division title before Thanksgiving.

Story continues below

There still are plenty of doubters waiting for the 49ers to fall back to reality. In fact, they may have drawn more attention this season for a handshake scuffle between Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz than they have for their record or their imposing defense.

“They still don’t give us the props,” Gore said, “but we don’t worry about that.”

The 49ers’ turnaround would not be possible without the Smith turnaround. He was the first overall pick in 2005 out of the University of Utah — the 49ers famously selected him over Aaron Rodgers — and stumbled through his first six seasons with 51 touchdown passes and 55 interceptions.

This year he’s found his groove. He has 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions in a run-oriented offense. While Eli Manning and Tom Brady are coming off their head-to-head battle over the hierarchy of NFL quarterbacks, Harbaugh has thrown Smith’s name into the mix. “He’s every bit the elite quarterback as there is playing in the game right now,” Harbaugh said.

The Giants certainly see that from him. “I think he’s managing the game much better,” Tom Coughlin said. “He’s more confident. I think he realizes, or believes, it’s his team, and he’s played well under his new tutelage. … He’s leading his team.”

“I always thought he was a good quarterback,” Baas said. “It’s very tough when you’re being thrown a different playbook and being asked to do eight million different things every single year by eight million different people. You want to talk about pressure? That’s what he’s had on his shoulders for the last six years. I think they do a good job of taking that off of him and just allowing him to play.”

Baas said the offensive lines he played with in San Francisco never lost faith in Smith.

“We always stuck by him no matter how many different people tried to tear him down,” he said. “We always knew that he was a great guy and that he would have success at some point.”

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Cardinals (1-2) vs. Giants (2-1) | Sunday | 1:05 p.m. | University of Phoenix Stadium

TV: Channel 10 (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston); Radio: 92.3 KTAR-FM (Dave Pasch, Ron Wolfley, Paul Calvisi), 710 KBMB-AM (Gabriel Trujillo, Rolando Cantu). Latest line: Giants favored by 1.5.

Noteworthy: This week’s game between the Cardinals and Giants is the 125th meeting between the two teams in a series that dates back to 1926. It is the Cardinals’ third-oldest rivalry (Chicago, Green Bay) and the Cardinals have faced the Giants more times than any other NFL franchise. … Between 1950 and 2001, the Cardinals and Giants played twice a year (except in 1968 and 1982) as members of the NFC East before the Cardinals joined the NFC West in re-alignment.

The Arizona Republic

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The New York Giants today announced the schedule for their 2011 training camp, which will be held at their regular-season practice facility, the Timex Performance Center. The first practice will be held Saturday, and the first practice which could involve any hitting will be on Monday, Aug. 1.

All practices are scheduled to go from 6 p.m. ET until 8:10 p.m.

ll training camp practice sessions will be open to the public and general admission seating for approximately 2,000 is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Standing room along the fence line outside the practice field is also available. There is no admission charge for watching training camp workouts and parking is free. Public parking is in Lot K on the grounds of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The lots will open to the public one hour before the scheduled start time of practice and lots will close one hour following the conclusion of practice.

With the new rules eliminating two-a-day practices, other than some “walk-thru” type practices teams will be allowed to hold, it will be interesting to see how different these practices will be. The change in setting, from the University at Albany to the Timex Performance Center, will also be something to watch.

Saturday, July 30
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Sunday, July 31
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Monday, August 1
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Tuesday, August 2
Players’ day off – no practice

Wednesday, August 3
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Thursday, August 4
Players day off – no practice

Friday, August 5
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Saturday, August 6
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Sunday, August 7
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Monday, August 8
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Tuesday, August 9
Players’ day off – no practice

Wednesday, August 10
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Thursday, August 11
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Friday, August 12
Travel to Carolina

Saturday, August 13
Giants at Carolina, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 14
Players day off – no practice

Monday, August 15
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Tuesday, August 16
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Wednesday, August 17
Players’ day off – no practice

Thursday, August 18
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Friday, August 19
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice

Saturday, August 20
6:00-8:10 p.m. – Practice
(Public Access to Training Camp Ends)

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By Michael Eisen

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Giants announced today that because of logistical and timing restrictions resulting from the league’s current ongoing labor negotiations, they will not hold training camp this summer at the University at Albany, their camp venue since 1996.

They will conduct this year’s camp at their permanent home here at the Timex Performance Center.

“We have notified President (George M.) Philip and Dr. (Lee) McElroy at the University at Albany, as well as Mayor (Gerald) Jennings, that we will not be holding training camp there this summer,” Giants President and Chief Executive Officer John Mara said. “In light of current circumstances, it simply became impractical for us to hold camp away from home. The University at Albany and the Capital Region has been a great summer home for us for 15 years, and we have every intention of returning there in 2012.”

The Giants’ 15-year stay at UAlbany is their longest at one training camp site in the 87-year history of the franchise. Before moving to Albany, they spent eight summers at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, N.J.

“While I was disappointed when John Mara called me this morning, I fully understand the Giants’ decision,” said University at Albany President George M. Philip, President. “We have a strong relationship with the team and have enjoyed hosting their summer camp for the past 15 years. We will miss the vibrancy and excitement the Giants would have once again brought to the University and the region this summer. We wish them luck in the upcoming season and look forward to their return in 2012.”

The Timex Performance Center, the Giants’ state-of-the-art complex which opened in 2009, has three grass fields, a turf field outdoors and a full-sized indoor field.

“John called me this morning to let me know of the team’s plans, and I certainly understand and respect the decision,” said Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings. “We have had a great relationship with the Giants organization for 15 years, and my office and our city look forward to this season and to welcoming the Giants back next summer.”

The NFL lockout has been in place since March 11. The owners and players continue to negotiate, but even if an agreement is reached within the next week, the Giants have too little time to transport equipment, weights, medical supplies, etc. and to organize the transportation of players – many of whom are not currently signed – to Albany. Head coach Tom Coughlin and his staff also feels that, after missing an offseason with the Giants players, their time will be more efficiently spent at the team’s home base.

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Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Friday – March 25, 2011 – 11:26am

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Thomas McGaughey, who has spent the last four seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, has been named LSU’s special teams coordinator, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday.

McGaughey served as the assistant special teams coordinator with the New York Giants from 2007-10, during which time the franchise ranked among the most productive in the NFL. During his career, McGaughey has coached for eight years in the NFL, two years at the collegiate level, and he spent one season in NFL-Europe.

In addition to his special teams duties, Miles said McGaughey will assist on the defensive side of the ball.

“Thomas is a great addition to the staff,” Miles said. “He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all phases of special teams. He’s coached in both the NFL and college so he has a tremendous understanding of the game. We are excited about bringing Thomas and his family to LSU.”

Most recently, McGaughey spent four years with the New York Giants, where he helped the franchise capture the Super Bowl in 2007 and win the NFC East crown in 2008.

The Giants also had several individual special teams standouts during McGaughey’s four years with the franchise. In 2009, kicker Lawrence Tynes ranked fifth in the NFL with a career-best 126 points, while Domenik Hixon finished seventh in the league in punt returns with a 10.9 average. Hixon also set the Giants record with 1,291 kickoff return yards.

During New York’s NFC East title season in 2008, the Giants had three special teams players – kicker John Carney, punter Jeff Feagles and long snapper Zak DeOssie – named to the NFC Pro Bowl team, while cover specialist Chase Blackburn was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

Carney, who was signed just prior to the 2008 season, set a franchise record by connecting on 35-of-38 field goals for .921 percent. The 35 field goals tied the team mark, while the .921 percent stands at the franchise record.

During the Giants’ Super Bowl season in 2007, the club excelled in special teams with Tynes connecting on 23-of-27 field goals, including the game-winner of 47-yards in an overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants also ranked among the NFL leaders in kickoff returns with a 23.9-yard average and they rated fourth in the league in punt coverage, allowing only 173 yards for the entire season.

McGaughey joined the Giants after two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ assistant special teams coach. In 2006, the Broncos held opposing punt returners to an average of 6.9 yards a return, the fifth-best figure in the NFL. The previous year, McGaughey worked with the Broncos special-teams that helped the club go 13-3 en route to capturing the AFC West title and advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

McGaughey was the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant special teams coach for the 2002 season. He broke into the NFL as a minority intern with the Chiefs during their 2001 training camp before working as a pro scouting assistant in an internship with the Houston Texans that year as the franchise prepared for its inaugural season.

McGaughey spent two years (2003-04) working at his alma mater, the University of Houston, before joining the Broncos’ staff. He served as Houston’s special teams coordinator in 2003 and as special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach in 2004.

A safety in his playing days, McGaughey entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He competed in the training camps of the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles in 1996-97, respectively. He was on the Eagles’ practice squad late in the 1996 season and was a member of the Barcelona Dragons’ team that won NFL Europe’s World Bowl in 1997.

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From LSU Sports

BATON ROUGE – Thomas McGaughey, who has spent the last four seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, has been named LSU’s special teams coordinator, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday. 

McGaughey served as the assistant special teams coordinator with the New York Giants from 2007-10, during which time the franchise ranked among the most productive in the NFL. During his career, McGaughey has coached for eight years in the NFL, two years at the collegiate level and he spent one season in NFL-Europe.

In addition to his special teams duties, Miles said McGaughey will assist on the defensive side of the ball.

“Thomas is a great addition to the staff,” Miles said. “He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all phases of special teams. He’s coached in both the NFL and college so he has a tremendous understanding of the game. We are excited about bringing Thomas and his family to LSU.”

Most recently, McGaughey spent four years with the New York Giants, where he helped the franchise capture the Super Bowl in 2007 and win the NFC East crown in 2008.

The Giants also had several individual special teams standouts during McGaughey’s four years with the franchise. In 2009, kicker Lawrence Tynes ranked fifth in the NFL with a career-best 126 points, while Domenik Hixon finished seventh in the league in punt returns with a 10.9 average. Hixon also set the Giants record with 1,291 kickoff return yards.

During New York’s NFC East title season in 2008, the Giants had three special teams players – kicker John Carney, punter Jeff Feagles and long snapper Zak DeOssie – named to the NFC Pro Bowl team, while cover specialist Chase Blackburn was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

Carney, who was signed just prior to the 2008 season, set a franchise record by connecting on 35-of-38 field goals for .921 percent. The 35 field goals tied the team mark, while the .921 percent stands at the franchise record.

During the Giants’ Super Bowl season in 2007, the club excelled in special teams with Tynes connecting on 23-of-27 field goals, including the game-winner of 47-yards in an overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants also ranked among the NFL leaders in kickoff returns with a 23.9-yard average and they rated fourth in the league in punt coverage, allowing only 173 yards for the entire season.

McGaughey joined the Giants after two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ assistant special teams coach. In 2006, the Broncos held opposing punt returners to an average of 6.9 yards a return, the fifth-best figure in the NFL. The previous year, McGaughey worked with the Broncos special-teams that helped the club go 13-3 en route to capturing the AFC West title and advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

McGaughey was the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant special teams coach for the 2002 season. He broke into the NFL as a minority intern with the Chiefs during their 2001 training camp before working as a pro scouting assistant in an internship with the Houston Texans that year as the franchise prepared for its inaugural season.

McGaughey spent two years (2003-04) working at his alma mater, the University of Houston, before joining the Broncos’ staff. He served as Houston’s special teams coordinator in 2003 and as special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach in 2004.

A safety in his playing days, McGaughey entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He competed in the training camps of the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles in 1996-97, respectively. He was on the Eagles’ practice squad late in the 1996 season and was a member of the Barcelona Dragons’ team that won NFL Europe’s World Bowl in 1997.

McGaughey played for the Houston Cougars from 1991-95 and was special teams captain as a senior. He also lettered in track from 1991-93, competing in the 110-meter hurdles.

McGaughey, 37, was born in Chicago and grew up in Houston. He and his wife, Erika, have three children.

 

The McGaughey File

Year at LSU:        First (appointed March 10, 2011)

Birthdate:           May 8, 1973 at Chicago, Ill.   

Wife:                      Erika

Children:              Thomas III, Taylor, Trenton 

College:                 University of Houston

                               

Playing Experience
1991-95                 University of Houston (defensive back)

1996                       Philadelphia Eagles (safety)

1997                       Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)

 

Coaching Experience

1998                       Houston (graduate assistant)

1998-2001            Willowridge (Texas) High School (defensive backs, special teams)

2001                       Kansas City Chiefs (minority intern)

2001                       Houston Texans (pro scouting assistant)

2002                       Scottish Claymores (defensive backs, special teams coordinator)

2002                       Kansas City Chiefs (assistant special teams coordinator)

2003-04                 Houston (special teams coordinator, 2003; special teams coordinator/cornerbacks, 2004)

2005-06                 Denver Broncos (assistant special teams coordinator)

2007-10                 New York Giants (assistant special teams coordinator)

2011                       LSU (special teams coordinator)

 

Bowl Experience

2003                       Hawaii (lost to Hawaii, 54-48)

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

BATON ROUGE – Thomas McGaughey, who has spent the last four seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, has been named LSU’s special teams coordinator, head coach Les Miles announced on Thursday. 

 

McGaughey served as the assistant special teams coordinator with the New York Giants from 2007-10, during which time the franchise ranked among the most productive in the NFL. During his career, McGaughey has coached for eight years in the NFL, two years at the collegiate level and he spent one season in NFL-Europe.

 

In addition to his special teams duties, Miles said McGaughey will assist on the defensive side of the ball.

 

“Thomas is a great addition to the staff,” Miles said. “He comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all phases of special teams. He’s coached in both the NFL and college so he has a tremendous understanding of the game. We are excited about bringing Thomas and his family to LSU.”

 

Most recently, McGaughey spent four years with the New York Giants, where he helped the franchise capture the Super Bowl in 2007 and win the NFC East crown in 2008.

 

The Giants also had several individual special teams standouts during McGaughey’s four years with the franchise. In 2009, kicker Lawrence Tynes ranked fifth in the NFL with a career-best 126 points, while Domenik Hixon finished seventh in the league in punt returns with a 10.9 average. Hixon also set the Giants record with 1,291 kickoff return yards.

 

During New York’s NFC East title season in 2008, the Giants had three special teams players – kicker John Carney, punter Jeff Feagles and long snapper Zak DeOssie – named to the NFC Pro Bowl team, while cover specialist Chase Blackburn was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

 

Carney, who was signed just prior to the 2008 season, set a franchise record by connecting on 35-of-38 field goals for .921 percent. The 35 field goals tied the team mark, while the .921 percent stands at the franchise record.

 

During the Giants’ Super Bowl season in 2007, the club excelled in special teams with Tynes connecting on 23-of-27 field goals, including the game-winner of 47-yards in an overtime victory over Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. The Giants also ranked among the NFL leaders in kickoff returns with a 23.9-yard average and they rated fourth in the league in punt coverage, allowing only 173 yards for the entire season.

 

McGaughey joined the Giants after two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ assistant special teams coach. In 2006, the Broncos held opposing punt returners to an average of 6.9 yards a return, the fifth-best figure in the NFL. The previous year, McGaughey worked with the Broncos special-teams that helped the club go 13-3 en route to capturing the AFC West title and advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

 

McGaughey was the Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant special teams coach for the 2002 season. He broke into the NFL as a minority intern with the Chiefs during their 2001 training camp before working as a pro scouting assistant in an internship with the Houston Texans that year as the franchise prepared for its inaugural season.

 

McGaughey spent two years (2003-04) working at his alma mater, the University of Houston, before joining the Broncos’ staff. He served as Houston’s special teams coordinator in 2003 and as special teams coordinator/cornerbacks coach in 2004.

 

A safety in his playing days, McGaughey entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He competed in the training camps of the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles in 1996-97, respectively. He was on the Eagles’ practice squad late in the 1996 season and was a member of the Barcelona Dragons’ team that won NFL Europe’s World Bowl in 1997.

 

McGaughey played for the Houston Cougars from 1991-95 and was special teams captain as a senior. He also lettered in track from 1991-93, competing in the 110-meter hurdles.

 

McGaughey, 37, was born in Chicago and grew up in Houston. He and his wife, Erika, have three children.

 

The McGaughey File

Year at LSU:        First (appointed March 10, 2011)

Birthdate:           May 8, 1973 at Chicago, Ill.   

Wife:                      Erika

Children:              Thomas III, Taylor, Trenton 

College:                 University of Houston

                               

Playing Experience
1991-95                 University of Houston (defensive back)

1996                       Philadelphia Eagles (safety)

1997                       Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)

 

Coaching Experience

1998                       Houston (graduate assistant)

1998-2001            Willowridge (Texas) High School (defensive backs, special teams)

2001                       Kansas City Chiefs (minority intern)

2001                       Houston Texans (pro scouting assistant)

2002                       Scottish Claymores (defensive backs, special teams coordinator)

2002                       Kansas City Chiefs (assistant special teams coordinator)

2003-04                 Houston (special teams coordinator, 2003; special teams coordinator/cornerbacks, 2004)

2005-06                 Denver Broncos (assistant special teams coordinator)

2007-10                 New York Giants (assistant special teams coordinator)

2011                       LSU (special teams coordinator)

 

Bowl Experience

2003                       Hawaii (lost to Hawaii, 54-48)

(Courtesy: LSU Athletics Department)

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

February 25, 2011, 9:17 AM EST

By Darrell Preston and Aaron Kuriloff

Feb. 25 (Bloomberg) — Governments that subsidized $7 billion of National Football League stadium construction will be the biggest losers if the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and other teams lock out players March 4.

Mayors and city officials of Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, San Diego and Kansas City, Missouri, have written the NFL asking that it avoid a work stoppage that could cost the entire season and millions in revenue and wages for workers at stadiums, hotels, restaurants and other businesses that depend on games.

Governments that financed 65 percent of new stadiums in the past 20 years would receive an unexpected blow at a time when tight budgets are forcing them to dismiss teachers and firefighters and cut back other government services.

“We don’t want to lose a dime,” said Tony Young, San Diego City Council president, who said by telephone that the NFL’s Chargers generate at least $100 million of local spending. “We’re talking about janitors, parking-lot attendants and catering crews, people who are already struggling.”

The 2011 regular season could be in jeopardy if “serious negotiations” don’t begin soon, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a commentary posted on the NFLlabor.com website last week. The league may lose $1 billion in ticket sales if it takes until September to reach an agreement, according to Eric Grubman, executive vice president for business operations. Each week of lost games would cost the league about $400 million.

Opting Out

Owners in the U.S.’s most-watched television sport voted in 2008 to opt out of the labor deal with players as of next week, saying it didn’t account for costs such as those for building stadiums. Talks have ranged from dividing revenue and expanding the season to 18 games from 16, to a rookie salary cap and health-care benefits. Both sides agreed Feb. 17 to negotiations run by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Bondholders of both corporate and municipal debt tied to stadiums and other infrastructure would be protected by reserves of as much as 18 months of revenue or the proceeds of hotel and motel taxes pledged to repay bonds sold by municipalities. The rating company Standard & Poor’s said in 2008 that it didn’t expect the NFL owners’ rejection of the current contract to hurt repayment of seven stadium-related debt issues.

“If NFL games were not played, the stadium projects should have sufficient liquidity to withstand a prolonged labor action,” S&P’s Jodi E. Hecht and Craig Parmelee, both New York- based analysts, said in a bulletin.

Cowboy Stadium Bonds

As the deadline for an agreement has approached, prices of bonds that the city of Arlington, Texas, issued to help build a new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys have risen, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. On Feb. 23 the bonds traded at an average of 98.4 cents on the dollar, up from 93.8 cents on Jan. 19, driving the yield down to 5.14 percent from 5.55 percent.

Sal Galatioto, who has helped structure bond deals for teams including the New York Giants, said he doesn’t expect stadium bondholders to be hurt because of reserves and the fact that the national TV contract would keep paying the NFL during a work stoppage.

“You’re making plenty of money because you have no expenses,” said Galatioto, the president of Galatioto Sports Partners LLC in New York. “The bondholders would be fine.”

For NFL cities, the teams add value to the property-tax base and labor pool, said N. Edward Coulson, an economist with Pennsylvania State University in University Park, who has studied the value of sports franchises.

“People are willing to pay more to live in a town with an NFL team,” Coulson said.

Sought-After Franchises

The value leads government officials to offer subsidies as incentives to help owners finance stadiums. In Houston, bonds for the Houston Texans’ Reliant Stadium are backed in part by taxes on hotel and car rentals. Alcohol and tobacco taxes helped fund the Cleveland Browns’ stadium.

Subsidies in the Ohio city, which dismissed firefighters, and in New Orleans, which has struggled to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, would continue to be paid even if localities are cut off from the economic benefits expected from games, according to official documents and reports. Yet the cities would lose the economic benefits generated by the events.

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Vikings’ regular-season games generate $6 million of spending that “support a wide variety of good jobs for workers in the hospitality, hotel and service industries,” wrote Mayor R.T. Rybak in a Feb. 3 letter to Goodell. Playoff games generate $9 million, the letter said.

Metrodome Situation

The city has no guarantee the Vikings will play in the Metrodome after the roof collapsed in December, leaving the team to host games at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank stadium.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker said in her Feb. 8 letter to Goodell that the Houston Texans’ games in Reliant Stadium generate $250 million of economic activity in restaurants and other entertainment outlets.

“Any decline in these revenues would hurt working families and the city as a whole, further compounding the difficulties we are facing due to the ongoing economic downturn,” Parker wrote.

As businesses and governments that depend directly on games lose income, the impact on the economy in most NFL cities will be minimal as fans spend on other activities, said Andrew Zimbalist, who teaches sports economics at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.

“It may be devastating to the psyche of a community, but not the economy,” Zimbalist said. “Instead of spending money at the stadium, fans will go bowling or do something else.”

–Editors: Ted Bunker, Dex McLuskey.

To contact the reporters on this story: Darrell Preston in Dallas at dpreston@bloomberg.net; Aaron Kuriloff in New York at akuriloff@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mark Tannenbaum at mtannen@bloomberg.net; To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net.

There is the quick update of the day.

CHICAGO (AP) — Dave Duerson, a four-time Pro Bowl safety who played on Super Bowl winners with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, has died. He was 50.

The Bears released a statement Friday saying they were “stunned and saddened” by the news and called Duerson “a great contributor to our team and the Chicago community.”

“Today is a difficult day for all of us who loved Dave,” the team said. “We’ll miss him. Our prayers are with his family.”

Miami-Dade Police Detective Robert Williams says the body of a Dave Duerson was found Thursday in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. Computer records show that the Duerson who lived at the address was born the same month and year as the player.

Investigators have not determined the cause of death. Williams says detectives are awaiting the medical examiner’s report.

Duerson’s ex-wife, Alicia Duerson, told NBC Chicago that he “loved and cherished his family” and was “extremely proud” of Notre Dame and the Bears.

A native of Muncie, Indiana, Duerson was a third-round draft pick by the Bears in 1983 out of Notre Dame and became a key figure on one of the greatest defenses ever assembled.

Who can forget the 1985 team mauling opponents while shuffling all the way to the championship with Hall of Famers such as Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Richard Dent up front? With Todd Bell sitting out the entire season, Duerson played a big role in the backfield with five interceptions that year and made the first of four straight Pro Bowls.

“He was a great player for us,” coach Mike Ditka told the Associated Press. “He stepped in and did a great job. It’s very sad.”

A year later, he picked off a career-high six passes while setting what was an NFL record for sacks by a defensive back with seven. That mark stood until 2005, when Arizona’s Adrian Wilson had eight.

Duerson would go on to win another Super Bowl with the 1990 Giants after being released by the Bears and spent three years with Arizona before retiring after 11 seasons.

Emery Moorehead, a tight end on the ’85 team, said: “He was a man’s man. Smoked cigars. Just a personable guy. … He had a lot of people that loved him everywhere.”

“Our hearts go out to the Duerson family and to all those who knew Dave,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “In addition to being a great football player, Dave represented himself and the University in so many other ways as a team captain, as well as through his work with the Monogram Club and the Board of Trustees. You couldn’t help but be impressed by him when you met Dave Duerson, and I think that was the reaction from anyone who was ever around him.”

Ray Ellis, the sports channel director at Voice America Sports, where Duerson had a weekly radio show streamed live over the Internet, said he tried reaching Duerson on Thursday when he didn’t host his regular program.

Friday morning, a friend informed Ellis of Duerson’s death.

“If you looked at him visually, Dave Duerson looked like he could play strong safety today,” Ellis said.

He added that Duerson recently told him he’d gotten engaged and planned to marry in late spring or early summer.

Ellis said Duerson’s show wasn’t typical sports talk. He talked about a range of subjects and liked to highlight athletes’ accomplishments and good work off the field.

“There was so much more to Dave than being a former Chicago Bear,” Ellis said. “Dave took pride in his accomplishments off the field.”

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

There is the quick update of the day.