Football News Headlines

2007

NOTE: The intent of the News Section is not to dwell on negative stories that are more suited to be found in the Police and Crime Section of your local newspaper, but to report and document stories that cover the entire realm of The World of Football.

News Archives   Choose Year 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Skip to

Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec

January

January 3, 2007 – (AIFA) The Baltimore Blackbirds, an expansion team in the American Indoor Football Association, announced that they will play the 2007 season in the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. The arena can accommodate over 11,000 fans and is now one of the largest arenas in the league. The Blackbirds are set to host the Carolina Speed in their home opener on March 31.

January 4, 2007 – (Obituary) Joe Majors, a former college and pro football player, dies at the age of 70. Majors was the starting quarterback at Florida State and also played at Alabama in the 1950’s. He also played defensive back for the Houston Oilers of the old American Football League in 1960. Majors later went on to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1969-1971. Majors had three brothers who all played college football for the University of Tennessee. Bill Majors was a tailback for the Volunteers from 1958-1960, Bobby Majors played defensive back from 1969-1971 and brother Johnny Majors played tailback at Tennessee from 1954-1958 and was also the head football coach at the school from 1977-1992. 

January 5, 2007 – (College) The Las Vegas All-American Classic is cancelled due to a lack of sponsorship and financing. The college all-star game was to be played on January 15. The game began in Utah as the Paradise Bowl in 2002 and subsequently moved to Las Vegas in 2004 under the current name. Organizers hope to bring back the game in 2008 if new ownership can be secured. The game was to be televised on the NFL Network.

January 5, 2007 - (CFL) The inflatable fabric roof at B.C. Place, the home stadium of the British Columbia Lions, was intentionally deflated after a tear was discovered. Stadium personnel believe the tear occurred as a result of recent high winds and heavy sleet. The 60,000 seat stadium, which was built in 1983, will also be host to the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was not immediately known how long it will take to repair and re-inflate the roof.

January 6, 2007 – (Obituary) Mario Danelo, the junior field goal kicker at USC, dies as a result of a 120 foot fall from a rocky cliff near his family’s home in San Pedro at the age of 21. Authorities have yet to determine if the fall was an accident or a suicide. Danelo was a walk-on kicker at the school in 2003. In the last two seasons he was 26 of 28 on field goals and 127 of 134 on extra points. He led the team in scoring this past season with 89 points and had two field goals in the Trojans win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl on January 1. Danelo is the son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo.

January 9, 2007 – (Lottery) The Ohio Lottery suspended the sale of the number 4114 in the state’s Pick 4 Daily Lottery game for the afternoon and evening drawings. That was the final score of the game between Ohio State and Florida the previous day in the BCS National Championship game. OSU lost 41-14. Sale of the number was automatically stopped because the potential payout reached $6 million. Back in November, Pick 4 players who played the number 4239, the final score of the OSU-Michigan game, won $5,000 each and the lottery paid out a total of $2.9 million on various combinations of the number. However, the number 4114 was not drawn in either drawing. (See related article on November 18, 2006)

January 9, 2007 – (College) The Idaho State Board of Education has approved a $35.9 million expansion project for Bronco Stadium at Boise State University. The project will replace the current press box, add 2,000 seats and 38 luxury suites. The stadium currently seats 30,000 spectators. Future expansion plans call for the stadium capacity to eventually total 40,000 fans. Boise State was the only Division I-A team to finish undefeated this past season. They had a 13-0 record including a 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1. They finished the season ranked fifth in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, their highest ranking ever! The expansion project is expected to be completed by the start of the 2008 season. 

January 9, 2007 – (Obituary) Ray Beck, who played guard at Georgia Tech, dies at the age of 75. During his senior season in 1951, the Yellow Jackets had a record of 11-0-1 and beat Baylor in the Orange Bowl. Beck went on to play in the NFL for the New York Giants in 1952 and again from 1955-1957. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997. 

January 9, 2007 – (CIFL) The Continental Indoor Football League’s Chicago franchise finally has a name and a coach. The team will be known as the Chicago Slaughter. The team's head coach will be Steve "Mongo" McMichael and the director of football operations will be William “The Refrigerator” Perry. McMichael and Perry were team mates on the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl team.

January 16, 2007 – (Media) ESPN announced that Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning show will be the lead announcing team for the network’s coverage for the upcoming Arena Football League season. Golic and Greenberg will also call ArenaBowl XXI on July 29 in New Orleans. Two other ESPN announcing teams will be made up of ESPN personalities. One will be the team of Trey Wingo and Mark Schlereth and the other will be Ron Jaworski and Merril Hoge. Golic was an AFL analyst for ESPN from 1996-1998 and Schlereth previously has called games for the AFL Colorado Crush. Jaworski is a part owner of the Philadelphia Soul.

January 16, 2007 – (NFL) The city of London, England has been selected to host the first NFL regular season game to be played outside of North America next season. The participating teams and venue will be announced at a later date. In 2005, the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals played the first regular season outside the United States in Mexico City. (See related article on October 24, 2006)

January 19, 2007 – (NFL) A 28-year-old woman from the Chicago suburb of Homer Glen induced labor a few days early so that her husband could attend the NFC Championship game at Soldier Field on Sunday (January 21) between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints. Colleen Pavelka gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Mark Jr., the couple’s second son. She had been due to deliver on Monday. The Bears won the game and advanced to Super Bowl XLI on February 4 in Miami. They will take on the Indianapolis Colts.

January 19, 2007 – (NFL) A forensic pathologist has revealed that former NFL player Andre Waters’ brain resembled that of an 85-year-old man at the time he committed suicide last November at the age of 44. His brain tissue showed characteristics of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. It is believed that his brain damage was the result of multiple concussions Waters received during his 12-year NFL career. (See related article on November 20, 2006) 

January 20, 2007 – (AAFL) The All American Football League will not kick off in 2007 after all. The league is still finalizing stadium use agreements with several college stadiums and is also looking for team owners. The league has postponed its debut until April 2008. (See related article on October 18, 2006)

January 24, 2007 – (CIFL) The Springfield Stallions of the Continental Indoor Football League have added a new co-owner to the team. He is former WWF and WWE professional wrestler, D’ Lo Brown.

January 24, 2007 – (NIFL) The Cincinnati Marshals of the National Indoor Football League announced that the team is moving to Dayton, Ohio in time for the 2007 season. The team will play its home games in Hara Arena. (See related article on October 27, 2006)

January 27, 2007 – (WIFL) The World Indoor Football League is partnering with EZStream and Double D Video Productions to form INTERNETWORK, a joint venture that will broadcast WIFL games on the Internet, most of them live. All 28 regular season games will be available for free this season and the championship game will be available for a nominal fee. 

January 28, 2007 - (College) A judge in California has issued a preliminary injunction halting construction of a proposed parking garage and athletic training center at the University of California as well as renovations to Memorial Stadium. About three dozen oak trees would have had to be cut down in order to build the training center and that caused several protesters to climb into the trees last month. They remained there for several weeks. The school is considering an appeal. (See related article on November 13, 2006) 

January 29, 2007 – (Arena) John Elway, former NFL quarterback with the Denver Broncos and currently a part owner of the AFL’s Colorado Crush, is elected Chairman of the League’s Executive Committee. He succeeds Los Angeles Avengers owner Casey Wasserman. 

February

February 2, 2007 - (NFL) The NFL announced that the New York Giants will host the Miami Dolphins in a regular season game on Sunday, October 28 at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

February 4, 2007 - (NFL) The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning was the game's MVP.

February 3, 2007 - (NFL) Six new members were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders, Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas, Cleveland Browns guard Gene Hickerson, St. Louis Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli and Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. The induction ceremony will take place in August.

February 5, 2007 – (Intense) The Odessa Roughnecks of the Intense Football League announced that they will play an exhibition game against the San Angelo Stampede Express on Saturday, March 31. The game will be played at the Dorothy Garrett Coliseum on the campus of Howard College in Big Springs, Texas. Former NFL wide receiver JT Smith has agreed to suit up for the Roughnecks in the game. Smith, who is 51-years-old, retired from the NFL in 1990 after a 13-year career playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals. Smith graduated from Big Springs High School in 1973 and was the honorary head coach of the Stampede Express during a pre-season exhibition game last year.

February 5, 2007 – (Media) Super Bowl XLI was the second most-watched Super Bowl ever and the third most-watched program in television history. Yesterday’s game on CBS was watched by an estimated 93.2 million viewers. It trailed only the 1996 Super Bowl and the M*A*S*H TV series finale.

February 5, 2007 – (NIFL) The expansion Alameda Street Boys of the National Indoor Football League has changed its name. The team will now be known as the Tri-Valley Ranchers.

February 5, 2007 – (College) The Los Angeles coroner’s office announced that USC kicker Mario Danelo had a blood alcohol level of 0.23 at the time of his death, which is almost three times the legal limit in California. No drugs were found in his system. (See related article on January 6, 2007)

February 6, 2007 - (College) Gordon Reise, the replay official who was at the center of a controversial call in a game last season between Oregon and Oklahoma, has been notified by the Pac-10 Conference that he has been relieved of his replay duties. He will remain with the conference, however, as a technical assistant. Reise's doctor had also advised him not to return to the replay booth. (See related article on September 20, 2006)

February 7, 2007 - (Obituary) Tommy James, who played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns in the 1940's and 50's, dies at the age of 83. James played high school football at Massillion High School near Canton, Ohio for future NFL coaching legend Paul Brown. He went on to play college football at Ohio State, which was also coached by Brown at the time. James played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions in 1947 and then signed with the Browns in 1948, which was also coached by Paul Brown. At that time, Cleveland was playing the All-American Football Conference, a rival league to the NFL. The team went 15-0 in 1948 and won the AAFC championship. The AAFC folded after four years of existence following the 1949 season and the Browns joined the NFL in 1950. James also played briefly for the Baltimore Colts in 1956. 

February 7, 2007 – (Obituary) Matt Pagel, who was on his way from Wisconsin to Ohio for a practice with the Arena Football League’s Columbus Destroyers, dies in an auto accident at the age of 25. Pagel’s car was eastbound on Interstate 70 in Ohio when a westbound semi lost control, crossed the median and struck his car as well as another semi. Pagel was pronounced dead at the scene. He played college football at the Division III University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Pagel signed as a free agent with the NFL San Diego Chargers in 2005, but did not make the team’s final roster. He played for the Green Bay Blizzard of arenafootball2 in 2006.  

February 13, 2007 – (Media) After playing in the Pro Bowl just three days ago, newly retired New York Giants running back Tiki Barber signs on as a news and sports reporter for NBC. Barber will appear on The Today Show as well as the network’s Sunday night NFL broadcasts.  

February 14, 2007 – (Obituary) Rick Gilliam, a former standout offensive lineman at West Virginia University, dies of an apparent heart attack at the age of 29. After college, Gilliam played briefly for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and also the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League.

February 15, 2007 – (College/Lawsuit) Two students at the University of Illinois have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the school board. The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to stop the school’s board of trustees from enforcing sanctions imposed against the school by the NCAA.  The students both portray the school’s mascot, Chief Illiniwek, at football and basketball games.

February 15, 2007 – (Media) Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher has been hired as a studio analyst on The NFL Today on CBS.

February 15, 2007 – (Arena) The Arena Football League is getting its own exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The new exhibit will be unveiled on February 26.

February 17, 2007 – (College) After nearly 50 years at Arkansas, Frank Broyles, 82, announced that he is retiring as the school’s athletic director at the end of the calendar year. Broyles has been the school’s AD since 1973. Prior to that, he was the Razorbacks head football coach from 1958-1976, amassing a record of 144-58-5. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

February 19, 2007 – (CFL) Five new members have been selected for induction into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario on September 14. Players include wide receiver Darren Flutie, linebacker Greg Battle, offensive lineman Rocco Romano and guard Pierre Vercheval along with Builder Dave Knight. Flutie, the brother of USFL, NFL and CFL quarterback Doug Flutie, played in the league from 1991-2002. Battle played in the CFL from 1987-1998, Romano played in the league from 1987-2000 and Vercheval played in the league from 1988-2001. Knight was a Canadian college football coach between 1966 and 1997.

February 19, 2007 – (Media) ESPN announced that Michael Irvin, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver who has been an NFL studio analyst at the network since 2003, will not be returning to the network next season.

February 22, 2007 – (CIFL) The Continental Indoor Football League announced that the Steubenville Stampede will host a doubleheader at St. John Arena to open the season on Saturday, March 24. In the first game at 3:00, the Wayne County Rumble will “host” the Muskegon Thunder and in the 7:00 game, the Stampede will host the New York/New Jersey Revolution. The doubleheader, known as the Showdown in Steubenville, is possible because the Stampede and the Rumble are both owned by the same person, Ramone Davenport.

February 23, 2007 – (Obituary) Oliver Tomlinson, 71, and Ronald McClain, 48, were killed in a single vehicle accident in Texas. Tomlinson is the father of San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and McClain is LaDainina’s brother-in-law. McClain was driving and lost control of his truck, veered into a ditch and hit a mound of gravel.

February 23, 2007 – (Arena/High School) The North All-Star team defeated the South 69-14 in the first annual Lone Star Arena Football Classic in Austin, Texas. The game featured teams of high school all-star seniors from the Austin area. The game was played at the Erwin Center, the home of the Austin Wranglers, who sponsored the game. A crowd of 4,722 was on hand and proceeds from the game will go towards purchasing defibrillators for area high schools. (See related article on December 14, 2006)

February 24, 2007 – (Obituary) Lamar Lundy, a member of the Los Angeles Rams Fearsome Foursome defensive live of the 1960s, dies at the age of 71. Lundy played for the Rams from 1957-1969. The other members of the Fearsome Foursome were Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones and Roosevelt Grier. Olson and Jones are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In college, Lundy was the first black scholarship football player at Purdue University.

February 25, 2007 - (Media) ESPN will launch a new Monday through Friday college football show beginning on July 23. The new 30-minute show will be called College Football Live and will be hosted by Rece Davis. 

February 26, 2007 – (Obituary) Javon Camon, a defensive back for the Daytona Beach Thunder of the World Indoor Football League, dies during a game against the Columbus Lions at the age of 25. Camon, who played college football at the University of South Florida, received a hard, but legal hit in the fourth quarter and suffered a broken neck. The game was stopped for about 25 minutes while Camon was attended to on the field. The game eventually resumed after Camon was taken to the hospital. Columbus, which was playing its first game ever, went on to win 45-42. 

February 26, 2007 – (CIFL) Just weeks before the start of the Continental Indoor Football League season, the Chicago Slaughter has been sold. Chicagoland Sports LLC has sold the team to Chisla LLC. The team’s home opener, which was scheduled for March 23 against the Springfield Stallions, has also been moved back June 24 to give the new owners more time to promote the team. 

February 26, 2007 – (Media) Russell Athletic has signed a five-year deal to sponsor Arena Football League broadcasts on ESPN and ABC beginning this season. The official title of the show will be Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football. The company is also the exclusive uniform provider for the league.  

February 27, 2007 - (College) The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Board of Directors voted to move the game to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, which will be built in Arlington, in 2010. The new $1 billion stadium is schedule to open in 2009. The game has been played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas since it's inception in 1937. 

February 27, 2007 – (CIFL) Jim Ballard is named the first commissioner of the Continental Indoor Football League. The former quarterback played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills in the NFL, the London Monarchs and Scottish Claymores of the World League of American Football, the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, the Buffalo Destroyers and Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League and the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL. He was an assistant coach with the Canton Legends of the American Indoor Football League in 2005. Ballard was elected to the Scottish Claymores Hall of Fame in 2001.

February 28, 2007 - (Media) Former Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Pacells has signed on as a studio analyst at ESPN. He will appear on the network's Monday Night Countdown pre-game show. He will also co-host a radio show with Chris Mortensen on Friday evenings and write a weekly column on ESPN.com. Parcells had previously been an analyst for the network in 2002. 

February 28, 2007 - (NFL) Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs receives a kidney from his former team mate and friend, Everson Walls. Springs, 50, has suffered from diabetes for the last 16 years and has been receiving dialysis three times a week. If his body does not reject the organ, he will not need dialysis again. He has been on a waiting list for a kidney since 2004. Walls, 47, was a cornerback for the Cowboys. He and Springs were team mates for four years, but have remained close friends ever since. 

February 28, 2007 – (CIFL) The Wayne County Rumble is moving to Tallmadge, Ohio, just outside of Akron, and will become the Summit County Rumble. The team will now play its home games in the Arena Complex after it was unable to reach a lease agreement with the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio. (See related article on February 22, 2007)

March

March 4, 2007 – (College) The University of Southern Mississippi will begin a $31.8 million expansion project at M. M. Roberts Stadium beginning next month. A construction contractor will be chosen in the next few days. The expansion will add 34 luxury suites, 3,700 regular seats, 320 club level seats, 1,900 bleacher seats and a new scoreboard with a video replay system. The total capacity for the stadium will increase to a capacity of 37,000. The expansion project is expected to be completed by August 1, 2008.

March 5, 2007 – (Obituary) Art Haege, an assistant coach with the Arkansas Twisters of arenafootball2 for the past two years, dies from complication of a brain aneurysm at the age of 69. Haege coached at several different levels including the NFL, CFL, Arena Leagues, high school, college and junior college. He was with the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995-2001. He also coached for the AFL Milwaukee Mustangs. Haege played college football at NAIA St. Ambrose as a tight end and defensive end. He was the school’s Player of the Year in 1959 and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1993. He also played one season in the Canadian Football League.

March 7, 2007 – (Obituary) Mike Mooney, an offensive tackle with the 1990 Georgia Tech national championship team, dies at the age of 37. Mooney went on to play in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and the San Diego Chargers. 

March 10, 2007 – (College) Clemson University has suspended sophomore running back Ray Ray MaElrathbey for at least four practices due to poor academic grades. (See related articles on September 12 and October 2, 2006)

March 10, 2007 – (Obituary) Ernie “Big Cat” Ladd, who was a lineman in the American Football League in the 1960’s and was also a professional wrestler, dies of cancer at the age of 68. Ladd played college football at Grambling State and was the 15th overall selection in the 1961 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He won an AFL championship with the Chargers in 1963. He also played for the Houston Oilers and the Kansas City Chiefs during his eight-year AFL career, playing in 112 consecutive AFL games. Ladd also played in two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, winning Super Bowl IV. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1981. As a professional wrestler in the WWF, Ladd played a bad guy whose signature move was the “guillotine drop.”

March 12, 2007 – (CIFL) The Continental Indoor Football League announced the formation of the CIFL Radio Network, which will provide live game broadcasts for all games during the 2007 season over the Internet. The Internet radio network is a result of the league’s partnership with Pioneer Sports Productions and SportsJuice.com. 

March 12, 2007 – (Media) Former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmett Smith has joined ESPN as a studio analyst. He will appear on NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown as well as ESPN Radio and ESPN.com.

March 13, 2007 – (CIFL) The Miami Valley Silverbacks of the Continental Indoor Football League announced that a local firearms dealer has purchased the naming rights to their playing field. The team will now be playing on Rapid Fire Field at Hobart Arena. Rapid Fire is a firearms and accessories retailer in Troy, Ohio.

March 14, 2007 – (Obituary) Lloyd Eaton, the head coach at Wyoming from 1962-1970, dies at the age of 88. Eaton compiled a record of 57-33-2 and led the Cowboys to the 1966 Sun Bowl and the 1967 Sugar Bowl.

March 16, 2007 – (Obituary) Denny Sym, a former “official team motivator” of the Miami Dolphins, dies of kidney disease and cancer at the age of 72. Sym, also known as “Dolfan Denny,” began leading cheers from the stands during the team’s first season in 1966. In 1976, he was officially hired by team owner Joe Robbie, was paid $50 per game, and was moved down on the sidelines. Sym retired in 2000. 

March 17, 2007 – (Obituary) Homer Harris, who was the first black captain of a Big Ten football team, dies of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 90. Harris played defensive end and defensive tackle for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1930’s. He was the MVP of the 1936 team and was captain of the 1937 team that featured future Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick. Harris went on to be a dermatologist in his hometown of Seattle from 1954-2000. The city named a park after him in 2005. Harris was elected to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

March 17, 2007 – (Obituary) Wilford “Crazy Ray” Jones, a popular fan and unofficial team mascot of the Dallas Cowboys for many years, dies of diabetes and cardiovascular disease at the age of 76. Jones was not paid by the team but he did receive an all-access pass at home games and had his own parking space at Texas Stadium.

March 20, 2007 – (College) The Division I-AA Big South Conference adds the Stony Brook Seawolves as a new member beginning with the 2008 season. Also in 2008, the conference will add the Presbyterian Blue Hose who will be moving up from Division II. Stony Brook played last season in the Division I-AA Northeast Conference and will play this season as an Independent.

March 21, 2007 – (NFLPA) Gene Upshaw, 61, was re-elected to a ninth consecutive three-year term as executive director of the NFL Players Association. Upshaw was first elected to the position in 1982, right after his playing career was over. 

March 21, 2007 – (Obituary) Ernie Wright, an offensive lineman who played in the American Football League in the 1960’s, dies of cancer at the age of 67. Wright played college football at Ohio State and was a rookie with the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960. He remained with the team when it moved to San Diego the next season and was with the team until 1967. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1968-1971 and returned to the Chargers for one final season in 1972. Wright was an AFL All-Star in 1961, 1963 and 1965.

March 23, 2007 – (Obituary) Leon “Mule Train” Heath, an All-American fullback at Oklahoma, dies at the age of 78. Heath played for the Sooners from 1948-1950. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1951 and played for the team for three years.

March 26, 2007 – (Media) Joe Theismann is out on ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast team. He will be replaced by ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski. Jaworski currently is a broadcaster on Arena Football League games on ESPN and is also a part owner of the league’s Philadelphia Soul.

March 26, 2007 – (NFL) The New Orleans Saints have reached an agreement with the state and will remain in Louisiana through the 2010 season. Both sides have dropped clauses in the current contract that would have allowed either one to terminate the contract. The Saints are hoping to reach a long term deal that will keep the team in New Orleans indefinitely.

March 28, 2007 – (Obituary) Bill Fisk Sr., who played in college and the NFL, dies at the age of 90. Fisk played college football at the University of Southern California and was on the 1939 USC National Championship team. He was also selected as the team’s most inspirational player that year. In 1940, Fisk was drafted in the third round by the Detroit Lions and was with the team for four years. He then spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers and one season with the Los Angeles Dons of the All American Football Conference. Fisk went on to be an assistant coach at USC from 1949-1956. 

March 28, 2007 – (CFL) Mark Cohon is selected as the new commissioner of the Canadian Football League. He has held various positions in the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball International, but most recently was the president and CEO of AudienceView Software Corporation. He will officially assume his duties on April 17.

March 28, 2007 – (NFLE) Jack Bicknell has resigned as head coach of the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europa due to health reasons. He will be replaced by his longtime assistant coach Vince Martino for the upcoming season. Bicknell has been with the league since 1991. He coached the Barcelona Dragons from 1991-2003, the Scottish Claymores from 2004-2005 and was with the Sea Devils from 2005-2006. Bicknell led the Dragons to the 1997 World Bowl championship.

April

April 2, 2007 - (NFL) The NFL has cancelled its August 9, 2007 preseason game in China between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The game has been tentatively rescheduled for 2009. The League said it wants to concentrate on its upcoming regular season game in London on October 28 between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins.

April 3, 2007 – (NFL) The NFL is reversing a decision they made last season which prohibited local TV cameras from being on the sidelines during games. Lawmakers in Arizona and Missouri were preparing to introduce legislation that would have forced the League to allow local cameras on the sidelines because they felt that the games were played in publicly subsidized stadiums. The League will now allow up to 10 local TV cameras (five per team) to be on the sidelines during each game.

April 3, 2007 – (Obituary) Eddie Robinson, the legendary coach at Grambling State University, dies from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 88. Robinson compiled a record of 408-165-15 during his 57-year coaching career at Grambling between 1941 and 1997.

April 5, 2007 – (College) An Ohio couple has named their newborn son after two Ohio State coaches. Brent and Kattie Huffines honored current coach Jim Tressel and legendary OSU coach Woody Hayes by naming their son Tressel Hayes Huffines. The baby was born a month premature and is in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Ohio State Medical Center in Columbus.

April 5, 2007 – (College) The man who designed the Chief Illiniwek logo for the University of Illinois has asked the school to return the logo to him. Jack Davis, a graphic artist from Champaign, IL, sold the logo to the school in 1980 for $210. The school recently gave in to pressure from the NCAA to do away with the logo as well as Chief Illiniwek. The university says it plans to retain ownership of the logo. (See related article on February 15, 2007)

April 5, 2007 – (Obituary) Darryl Stingley, who played wide receiver for the New England Patriots in the 1970’s, dies at the age of 55. Stingley played college football at Purdue and was a first round draft choice of the Patriots in 1973. During a preseason game in Oakland on August 12, 1978 at the age of 26, Stingley was hit by Oakland Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum and was paralyzed for the rest of his life. No penalty flag was thrown on the play. However, it was that hit that caused the NFL to institute the rule against contact with a receiver five yards past the line of scrimmage. Stingley worked as a consultant for the Patriots and in 1983 wrote the book. “Happy to be Alive.” His son, Derek, played for several different teams in the Arena Football League and is currently the head coach of the South Georgia Wildcats of arenafootball2.  

April 6, 2007 – (NFL) Running back Ricky Williams has applied for reinstatement in the NFL. Williams was suspended for a year after failing a drug test for a fourth time. He played last season for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. If reinstated, he would return to his former NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.

April 10, 2007 – (Obituary) Ralph Heywood, an All-American at USC in 1943, dies at the age of 85. As a tight end, Heywood led the Trojans in receiving in 1942 and 1943 and was also the captain of the 1943 team. But just five games into the 1943 season, Haywood was drafted into the Marine Corps. He spent the next 32 years as an officer in the Marines and served in three wars. 

April 12, 2007 – (af2) The Green Bay Blizzard announced that they have sold the naming rights to their playing field. The team will now be playing on “U.S. Cellular Field at the Resch Center.”

April 12, 2007 – (College) The NCAA has approved several rule changes for the upcoming 2007 season. Kickoffs will now occur from the 30-yard line (just like in the NFL) instead of from the 35. Also, two timing rules will revert back to the way they were in 2005. 1) The clock will once again stop on possession changes and 2) on kickoffs, the clock will not start until the receiving team touches the ball.

April 15, 2007 - (Nickname) The University of Central Florida is changing it nickname from the Golden Knights to simply the Knights. The school has used the name Golden Knights since 1993. A new logo will be unveiled on June 14.

April 16, 2007 - (Arena) Dallas Desperados quarterback Clint Dolezel completes his 800th touchdown pass in a 57-41 Monday night win over the Philadelphia Soul. Dolezel becomes the first player to reach the 800 TD Milestone. He is in his 12th season playing in the Arena Football League.

April 16, 2007 - (Obituary) David Berry, a defensive end on the 1948 Canadian Football League Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders, dies at the age of 85. Berry joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1943 before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force and serving in World War II. After the war, he played for the Stampeders from 1946-1951. The 1948 Grey Cup team was the first Calgary team to win a Grey Cup and is the last team to go undefeated in CFL history.  

April 16, 2007 - (Media) Keith Olbermann has been added as a co-host of NBC's Sunday night prime time NFL pre-game show, Football Night in America. Olbermann was an anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter from 1992-1997.

April 17, 2007 - (College) The Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame inducts six new members. The Class of 2007 includes former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian, USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, Texas A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen, Oklahoma A&M tailback Bob Fenimore, Texas offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore and longtime Cotton Bowl photographer, Brad Bradley.

April 17, 2007 - (NFL Europa) The League sets a new weekend attendance record. A total of 89,367 fans attended the three games played during the opening weekend of the season. The previous record was 89,001 in Week 9 of the 2005 season.

April 17, 2007 - (College) In the wake of yesterday's mass shooting spree at the school, Virginia Tech has cancelled its spring football game. The game was scheduled to be played on Saturday, April 21.

April 18, 2007 - (NFL) Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is fined $100,000 by the NFL for wearing a vitaminwater hat during the Super Bowl XLI media day back in January. Gatorade if the official drink sponsor of the NFL.

April 19, 2007 - (Obituary) George Webster, an All-American defensive player at Michigan State, dies in Houston at the age of 61. Webster was selected in the first round of the 1967 draft by the Houston Oilers. He played in the NFL for 10 seasons for the Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. In 1998, the Supreme Court ruled against Webster in his attempt to qualify for disability benefits from the NFL. 

April 21, 2007 - (College) A crowd of 92,138-plus attended the spring football game of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Some people even had to be turned away. Fans were eager to see new Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who left the NFL Miami Dolphins in January to coach the Tide. The previous record for an Alabama A-Day game was 51,117 back in 1988.

April 21, 2007 - (UIF) The Sioux Falls Storm defeated the Billing Outlaws 51-18 to extend their winning streak to 25 games. The Storm has not lost a game since 2005 and has won the League championship the last two season.  

April 21, 2007 - (AIFA) Dave Hodas, owner of the Erie Freeze of the American Indoor Football Association, guaranteed that his team would beat the defending league champion Canton Legends. Unfortunately, the Legends won the game 48-44. It was Erie's eighth straight loss and the team's record fell to 1-9 on the season. Because the Freeze lost the game, anyone who attended the game is eligible for a free ticket to one of the team's games next season.

April 21, 2007 - (College Award) Former Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus is suing the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando for control of the college football award that bears his name. The Butkus Awards has been handed out annually since 1985 to the nation's top college linebacker.   Butkus originally granted the club a license to use his name and image on the award for free. However, the lawsuit claims that the club did not tell Butkus that he would be barred from using his own name in connection with another college linebacker award.

April 21, 2007 - (NIFL) The season opener for the Port St. Lucie Mustangs of the National Indoor Football League turned out to be an exhibition game when the referees who were supposed to work the game never showed up. The Mustangs lost the home exhibition game to the Miami Vice Squad, 57-17.

April 22, 2007 - (WIFL) Wide receiver Barry Wagner catches the 1,000th regular season reception of his professional career while playing for the Daytona Beach Thunder in the World Indoor Football League. The milestone occurred during a 40-19 loss to the Osceola Ghostriders. Wagner played 15 season in the Arena Football League, eight with the Orlando Predators and seven with the San Jose SaberCats before signing with the Thunder this season. He joins Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Tim Brown, and Marvin Harrison in the NFL and Terry Vaughn in the Canadian Football League as a member of the 1,000 reception club. 

April 22, 2007 - (NFL Europa) The visiting Hamburg Sea Devils defeated the Berlin Thunder 16-7 in front to a record crowd at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. A crowd of 30,657 was on hand for the game. The previous record for a Thunder game was 20,927 on June 5, 2005 when Berlin hosted the Cologne Centurions. 

April 26, 2007 - (Media) The Big 12 Conference and ABC/ESPN have agreed to an eight-year extension of their multimedia and sponsorship contract which will run through 2016. ABC will air up to 19 Big 12 football games per year as well as the conference championship game. Financial teams of the deal were not disclosed.

April 27, 2007 - (WIFL) The World Indoor Football League has approved the transfer of the Columbus Lions to an ownership group of eight local investors in the Columbus, Georgia area. The team was previously owned by the same group that owns another team in the league, the Daytona Beach Thunder.

April 27, 2007 - (Arena) New Orleans VooDoo quarterback Andy Kelly becomes the second player in pro football history to toss 800 career touchdowns. The milestone was reached in a 72-57 loss to the Georgia Force. (See related article on April 16, 2007)

April 28, 2007 - (Arena) Arizona Rattlers quarterback Sherdrick Bonner becomes the third quarterback in pro football history to reach the 800 touchdown mark. It happened during a 67-45 loss to the New York Dragons. (See related article on April 27, 2007)

April 29, 2007 - (Obituary) Kevin Mitchell, who played in the NFL from 1994-2003, dies in his sleep at the age of 36. Mitchell was drafted in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers out of Syracuse University. He also played for the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was a defensive lineman in college but played linebacker during his 10-year NFL career. The preliminary autopsy report indicates that Mitchell died of a massive heart attack.

April 29, 2007 - (af2) The League announced that ArenaCup8 will be played on Saturday, August 25 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. It is the home arena of the af2's Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings. The arenafootball2 championship game was also played there back in 2005.

May

June

June 3, 2007 – (NFL) New York Jets head coach Eric Mangini appeared on the next to last episode of the long running HBO series, “The Sopranos.” Mangini and his wife, Julie, did not have any lines, but could be seen having dinner in a restaurant where main character, Tony Soprano, was also dining. Mangini also made a cameo appearance on the children’s show “Sesame Street” last year.

June 5, 2007 – (College/Lawsuit) A judge in Illinois has dismissed a pair of lawsuits over the University of Illinois dropping its mascot, Chief Illiniwek. One lawsuit was filed by two students at the school who used to portray the mascot at football and basketball games. The lawsuit accused the NCAA of coercing the university into dropping the mascot by imposing sanction on its athletic teams. (See related article on February 15, 2007)

June 8, 2007 - (AAFL) The All American Football League announced that it will conduct its first player tryouts at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on July 2nd and 3rd. More tryouts are planned for September in Texas and Michigan. The League also announced that it's inaugural championship game will take place on July 3, 2008.

June 12, 2007 – (Obituary) Jim Norton, a safety and punter with the Houston Oilers in the 1960’s, dies at the age of 68. Norton played college football at Idaho and was drafted by the NFL Detroit Lions in 1960. He never played for the Lions, however. Instead, he signed with the Oilers of the new American Football League. The Oilers went on to win the AFL championship that season. Norton retired from the Oilers in 1969 and was the first player in team history to have his jersey number (43) retired.

June 12, 2007 - (Arena) The Arena Football League announced that ArenaBowl XXI, which will be played on July 29 in New Orleans, is officially sold out. It is the first time the game has been sold out since going to a neutral site three years ago. The two previous championship games were played in Las Vegas.

June 14, 2007 – (College) Division I-AA Saint Peter’s College is dropping its football program. The Peacocks were 2-8 last season and 38-103 overall since the team moved from Division III to Division I-AA in 1993. The school has had a football team since 1971, but it did not field teams in 1984 and 1988 due to a lack of players. The team played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

June 15, 2007 – (NFL) The Oakland Raiders have had to cancel their planned off-season activities for next week. The NFL Players Union complained that the team’s intensity and the fast pace at recent practices violated League rules on off-season practice standards. The Raiders had the worst record in the NFL last season.

June 15, 2007 - (Obituary) Justin Skaggs, a wide receiver/linebacker for the Utah Blaze in the Arena Football League, dies from a brain tumor at the age of 28. Skaggs had recently been diagnosed with the inoperable brain tumor and had surgery the day before his death to relieve some swelling after he complaining of severe headaches. His last game for the Blaze was on May 25 against his former team, the Orlando Predators. Skaggs was in his second season with the Blaze and third in the Arena Football League. He also was with the NFL Washington Redskins in 2001 and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 2002.    

June 18, 2007 - (NFL Europa) NFL Europa set a new regular season attendance record in 2007. The league drew 600,714 fans to its games this year, an average of 20,024 per game.

June 19, 2007 – (Obituary) Terry Hoeppner, the head coach at Indiana University, dies from complication of a brain tumor at the age of 59. Hoeppner had been the head coach at Indiana for the past two seasons, posting a 9-14 record at the school. Prior to that, he was a coach with the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks of the Mid-America Conference for 19 years and was head coach of the team from 1999-2004. As head coach at Miami (Ohio), Hoeppner posted a 48-25 record and led the team to a 49-28 win over the Louisville Cardinals in the 2003 GMAC Bowl. The Redhawks also lost to Iowa State in the 2004 Independence Bowl, 17-3. Due to Hoeppner’s ongoing medical condition, Indiana had named assistant coach Bill Lynch as the interim head coach for the 2007 season just days earlier on June 15.

June 20, 2007 – (CIFL) The Port Huron Pirates of the Continental Indoor Football League announced that they are moving their playoff games down the road to Flint, Michigan. Their first playoff game is scheduled for July 7 and will be played at the Perani Arena and Events Center in Flint. The team is testing the market to see if they want to move to Flint for the 2008 season.

June 20, 2007 – (Arena) A TV station in Austin, Texas is reporting that the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League will become an arenafootball2 team next season. An unnamed source from the team told the station that the team is losing too much money at the AFL level.

June 21, 2007 – (College) Dan Beebe has been named the interim commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. Beebe was formerly the commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I-AA. He has been with the Big 12 since 2003 and served as the senior associate commissioner as well as COO. Current Big 12 commissioner, Kevin Weiberg, is leaving to join the Big 10 Network.

June 21, 2007 - (College) The University of Michigan Board of Regents approves a $226 million renovation project at The Big House. The project will add 83 luxury suites, 3,200 club seats and raise the total seating capacity of the historic stadium from 107,501 to 108,000. The renovation is expected to be completed in 2010.

June 22, 2007 – (CIFL) The Continental Indoor Football League announced that it has suspended operations of the Springfield Stallions.

June 23, 2007 - (NFL Europa) The Hamburg Sea Devils defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in World Bowl XV in front of 48,125 fans in Frankfurt. It was the first World Bowl title for Hamburg. (See related article on June 18, 2007)

June 23, 2007 - (AIFA) The Lakeland Thunderbolts of the American Indoor Football Association defeated the Reading Express 54-49 to win the AIFA Championship. The game was played in Florence, South Carolina.

June 26, 2007 - (Arena) The Arena Football League set a new attendance record during the 2007 regular season. The League had 1,887,054 fans attend its 152 regular season games this year. That's an average of 12,415 fans per game. It breaks the record of 1,827,579 set in 2004. 

June 28, 2007 – (CIFL) The Port Huron Pirates of the Continental Indoor Football League announced that, since they will be playing their playoff games in Flint and do not plan to return to Port Huron next season, they will now be known as the Michigan Pirates. (See related article on June 20, 2007)

June 29, 2007 – (NFL Europa) The NFL has shut down operation of its developmental league, NFL Europa. The NFL wants to focus its attention on its upcoming regular season games in other countries, which begin this season. NFL Europe reportedly was losing an estimated $30 million a year. (See related articles on June 23, 2007, November 10, 2006 and May 27, 2006)

June 29, 2007 – (CIFL) The Continental Indoor Football League has ceased operations of the Steubenville Stampede and the Summit County Rumble. (See related article on June 22, 2007)

June 30, 2007 – (WIFL) The Augusta Spartans defeated the Columbus Lions 63-60 in World Indoor Bowl I. The inaugural championship game of the World Indoor Football League was played in Columbus, Georgia.

July

August

August 1, 2007 – (Arena) The Arena Football League topped the 2 million mark in total fan attendance for the first time in League history. A total of 2,022,890 fans attended the league’s regular season and playoff games, as well as ArenaBowl XXI in 2007.

August 2, 2007 – (Obituary) Ed Brown, who was the starting quarterback on the Chicago Bears 1956 championship team, dies of prostate cancer at the age of 78. Brown played college football at the University of San Francisco and was on the school’s undefeated 1951 team. After spending two years in the Marine Corps, he was selected in the sixth round of the draft by the Bears and played for the team for eight years. He also spent four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, retiring from the NFL in 1965. Brown was also a punter and kicker and was selected to two Pro Bowls.

August 4, 2007 – (af2) Head Coach Rich Ingold of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers becomes the winningest coach in arenafootball2 history. Ingold notched his 58th career win in a 57-54 playoff win over the Tri-Cities Fever.

August 4, 2007 - (NFL) The Class of 2007 was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. (See related article on February 3, 2006)

August 4, 2007 - (UIF) The Sioux Falls Storm defeated the Lexington Horsemen 62-59 in United Bowl III. It was the 38th consecutive win for the Storm dating back to 2005 and the team's third consecutive United Indoor Football championship. The game was played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

August 5, 2007 - (NFL) The NFL preseason kicked off with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints by the score of 20-7.

August 7, 2007 – (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association terminates the territorial rights of the Baltimore Blackbirds. The AIFA says the Blackbirds are default in their contract agreement and will not return to the league next season. The AIFA plans to have a new team in Baltimore next year. However, the Blackbirds say they are looking for a new league to join for the 2008 season.

August 8, 2007 - (CIFL) The New York/New Jersey Revolution of the Continental Indoor Football League have shortened their name to simply the New Jersey Revolution. The team also has a redesigned logo and is set to return to the Mennen Arena in Morristown, New Jersey for a second season in 2008.

August 8, 2007 – (NFL) The Pittsburgh Steelers officially announced the name of the team’s new mascot. His name is Steely McBeam and was chosen from more than 70,000 names submitted by fans since April. The new mascot is a contemporary version of a former Steelers logo used in the 1950’s and 60’s, a steel worker with a hard hat. The Steelers are celebrating their 75th season this year. The team also had a mascot in the 80’s and 90’s named Stevie Steeler.

August 9, 2007 – (NFL) The NFL has upgraded its instant replay equipment for the first time since 1999. The League has installed High Definition systems on the field for use by referees in all but three stadiums. Indianapolis, Dallas and New York have received the new HD hardware, but they do not have the HD signal, because all three stadiums will be replaced in the next few years. The size of the monitor screen has also been increased from 20 inches to 26 inches.   

August 11, 2007 – (Intense) The Louisiana Swashbucklers defeated the Corpus Christi Hammerheads 46-27 in Intense Bowl III. The Intense Football League’s championship game was played in the Lake Charles Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

August 11, 2007 - (IWFL) The Detroit Demolition defeated the Atlanta Xplosion 17-7 in the championship game of the Independent Women's Football League. The game was played on Atlanta Georgia.

August 12, 2007 – (WIFL) The Tallahassee Titans are joining the World Indoor Football League for the 2008 season. The Titans played in the American Indoor Football Association last season where they posted an 11-3 record. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs.

August 15, 2007 - (AIFA) The Florida Stingrays are the newest expansion team in the American Indoor Football Association. The Stingrays will play their home games in the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Meyers, Florida.

August 16, 2007 - (AAFL) The All American Football League announced that it plans to have a team in Michigan next season. The League is hoping to sign an agreement with Ford Field in Detroit to host its home games. Michigan becomes the fifth confirmed site in the projected six-team league. (See related article on July 30, 2007)

August 18, 2007 - (AIFA) The Wyoming Cavalry is joining the American Indoor Football Association for the 2008 season. The Cavalry had previously been a member of the National Indoor Football League.

August 18, 2007 - (CFL) The Canadian Football League game between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Saskatchewan Rough Riders was halted for 58 minutes due to a lightning storm. Play was suspended with 13:20 left in the fourth quarter and Edmonton in the lead, 32-27. However, when play finally resumed, Saskatchewan scored 12 unanswered points and won the game 39-32. A sellout crowd of 28,800 was on hand in Saskatchewan for the game. 

August 20, 2007 – (College) For the first time since 1939, Birmingham-Southern will field a football team. At the time, the school competed at the NCAA Division I level, but the school will now compete in Division III in all sports. Its first football game will be against Mississippi College on September 6. Birmingham-Southern competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) for nearly 50 years and moved to the NCAA Division I in 1999. The Panthers will now be members of the Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

August 21, 2007 – (College) The University of Miami will play its last season in the Orange Bowl this year. Beginning in 2008, the Hurricanes will play its home games in Dolphin Stadium. Miami, which has played at the Orange Bowl since 1937, has signed a 25-year lease to play at the new stadium. 

August 22, 2007 – (College) Mike Flynt, age 59, has made the football team at Division III Sul Ross State in Alpine, Texas. Flynt was a long-time strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M. He is also the inventor of the Powerbase training system. He played high school football at Odessa Permian, the school featured in the book, “Friday Night Lights,” and won a state high school football championship in 1965. Flynt went on to play at Sul Ross State but was kicked off the team in 1971 during his senior season for fighting. He still had a year of college football eligibility left. He was the Lobos team captain and led the team in tackles as a linebacker during his junior season in 1970. Flynt is eight years older than the team’s current head coach.

August 22, 2007 - (CFL) The Canadian Football League officially announced a partnership with the web site YouTube.com to launch CFLtv. The Internet site will feature highlights and recaps of all CFL games. 

August 22, 2007 - (af2) The arenafootball2 is returning to Peoria, Illinois. The Peoria Pirates will once again take to the field in 2008. The league has secured a lease at the Peoria Civic Center and will begin play next spring. The team will be owned by Doug MacGregor, who is also the owner of the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League. The Pirates were members of the af2 from 2001-2004 and won ArenaCup 3 in 2002.

August 23, 2007 – (High School) Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway has been hired as the new quarterback coach at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado. Elway’s son, Jack, is a senior quarterback at the school.

August 25, 2007 - (af2) The Tulsa Talons won their second ArenaCup title by defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 73-66. The game was played in Bossier City, Louisiana.

August 29, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association has signed a three-year national television broadcast deal with Simply 4 Me TV.

August 29, 2007 - (NIFL) The San Diego Shockwave of the National Indoor Football League have decided to not field a team in 2008, but will return in 2009. The team is also looking at different indoor leagues to join when they do return to the field.

August 30, 2007 - (AIFA) The newest team in the American Indoor Football Association is the Baltimore Mariners. The Mariners will take the place of the Baltimore Blackbirds, who are moving to a different league next season. (See related article on August 7, 2007)

September

September 5, 2007 – (AAFL) Former University of Florida and NFL quarterback Shane Matthews has been named the head coach of the Florida team in the All American Football League. Matthews has never been a coach before.

September 6, 2007 – (Media) The Associated Press has decided to allow its voters to vote for Division I-AA schools to be in the AP Top 25 Poll. The change was prompted after the Division II Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines 34-32 on September 1. Michigan dropped completely out of the poll after the loss. The USAToday College Football Poll will not change its format and voters will still only be able to nominate Division I-A teams. Division I was split into I-A and I-AA in 1978. 

September 6, 2007 – (NFL/Lawsuit) A federal district court judge in San Francisco has dismissed a class action lawsuit by three retired NFL players against the NFL Player’s Association. The judge said the lawsuit had little merit but gave the men until September 27 to revise the lawsuit and re-file. The lawsuit claims that only 358 of 3,500 retired players received marketing royalties in 2005.

September 10, 2007 – (CFL) The Canadian Football League announced that fans will now be able to vote for their favorite players and have a voice in who will be named to the League’s All-Star Teams. Fans can vote on the League’s official web site and the votes cast will count for 25% of the final All-Star voting. The other 75% will come from the Football Reporters of Canada and the eight CFL team head coaches. Division All-Star teams will be announced on October 24. After that, voting will begin for the League All-Star team, which will be announced during the week of the Grey Cup championship game in late November.

September 10, 2007 – (CFL) The Canadian Football League announced that two calls made in two separate games last weekend were made in error by game officials. One involved a “completed” pass in a game between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders and the other was on a kickoff in a game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both plays were review by officials during the game using instant replay, but the wrong call was made in both instances. The officials involved have been disciplined by the League.

September 12, 2007 – (IGFL) The Indoor Gridiron Football League officially announced that they plan to begin play in November 2008. The IGFL will play seven-on-seven football in the winter with at least eight teams playing an eight to ten game regular season schedule the first year. The season will end in late January or early February 2009 with the Gridiron Bowl Championship Game.

September 12, 2007 – (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association has awarded a franchise to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team will debut during the 2009 season and will play its home games in the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.  

September 12, 2007 – (Arena) The Georgia Force signed a 10-year lease to play its home games at Gwinnett Arena. The Force played in the Gwinnett Arena in 2004 but have been playing in the Phillips Arena in downtown Atlanta for the last three seasons. The Phillips Arena is an 18,000 seat arena while the Gwinnett Arena seats 11,200.

September 13, 2007 – (NFL) The NFL has fined New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 for using video cameras to spy on opposing coach’s signals. The League also fined the team an additional $250,000 and a first day draft pick next year. It will be a first round draft pick if the team makes the playoffs or their second and third round picks if the team do not make the playoffs. It is the first time in NFL history that a team has been forced to give up a first round draft pick for violating League rules. It is also the single largest fine ever given to a head coach.

September 15, 2007 - (College) Sarah Thomas, 33, becomes the first woman to officiate in a Division I-A football game. Thomas spent 11 years officiating high school football in Mississippi, but had never worked a college game before. She worked as a line judge in a game in Tennessee between the Memphis Tigers from Conference USA and the Division I-AA Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Memphis won the game 35-14.

September 16, 2007 – (Obituary) Garrard S. “Buster” Ramsey, the first head coach of the American Football League Buffalo Bills in 1960, dies at the age of 87. Ramsey was a member of the 1937 Knoxville High School national high school championship team in Tennessee. He played college football at William and Mary, graduating in 1942.  Ramsey then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After serving in the military, he played for the Chicago Cardinals and was on the 1947 NFL Championship team. He became a defensive coach with the Detroit Lions in 1952 where he helped develop the 4-3 defense and was the first coach to blitz a linebacker, calling it the Red Dog. He finished his NFL coaching career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965. Ramsey was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

September 16, 2007 – (NFL) Quarterback Bret Favre of the Green Bay Packers becomes the NFL’s winningest quarterback with his 149th career win. The Packers beat the New York Giants 35-13 in New Jersey. Favre moved past former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, who had 148 career wins.

September 18, 2007 – (UFL) The United Football League announced that Michael Huyghue will be the new league’s first commissioner. Huyghue, 45, worked as an attorney on the NFL’s management council for 20 years. He has also been an executive with the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars and, most recently, he has been a sports agent. (See related article on May 30, 2007)

September 19, 2007 – (af2) The Iowa Barnstormers are returning to arenafootball2 for the 2008 season. The team was a member of the Arena Football League from 1995-2000 and moved to New York to become the New York Dragons in 2001. A new Barnstormers team was placed in the af2 in 2001, but lasted only one season before suspending operations.

September 22, 2007 – (College) The first ever night time football game is played at Harvard.  Historic Harvard Stadium was built in 1903 and, for the first time in the 104 year history of the national landmark, a night game was played under the newly installed stadium lights. The Harvard Crimson defeated the Brown University Bears 24-17.

September 27, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association has added two new teams for the 2008 season. The Augusta Spartans and the Columbus Lions, both from Georgia, are leaving the World Indoor Football League to join the AIFA. The two teams played in the WIFL championship game in June. (See related article on June 30, 2007)

September 30, 2007 – (NFL) Quarterback Bret Favre of the Green Bay Packers sets a new NFL record for career touchdown passes by completing the 421st touchdown pass of his career in a 31-24 win over the San Diego Chargers at Lambeau Field. The previous record was 420 set by Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins. (See related article on September 16, 2007)

October

October 2, 2007 – (Obituary) Dewitt “Tex” Coulter, a guard who played in the NFL and the CFL, dies at the age of 83. Coulter was an All-American on the 1945 Army national championship team. He went on to play for the NFL New York Giants from 1946-1952 and then played four seasons with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Lineman in 1955. Coulter was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

October 4, 2007 – (College) The body of George Gipp was exhumed from its gravesite in Calumet, Michigan. Gipp was the first All-American at Notre Dame and died of pneumonia and strep throat in 1920. The exhumation was done in order to perform a DNA test at the request of a family member. Gipp’s body was return to the grave later the same day.

October 5, 2007 - (af2) The Bakersfield Blitz announced that they will not be fielding a team for the 2008 season. The Blitz had been in the af2 since 2002.

October 10, 2007 - (Intense) The Intense Football League has added a second team in Alaska for the 2008 season. The unnamed expansion team will be located in Fairbanks and will play its home games at the Carson Center. Last season, the league added the Alaska Wild, which is located in Anchorage. Fairbanks becomes the ninth team in the league. The IFL also announced that Dan Blum has been named the League's first commissioner. 

October 10, 2007 - (Arena) The Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League announced that they have ceased operations. The Kats were owned by Bud Adams, who also owns the NFL Tennessee Titans.

October 10, 2007 - (Arena) Arena Football League owners voted unanimously to give a three year contract extension to commissioner David Baker. Baker has been the commissioner of the AFL since 1996.

October 11, 2007 - (Arena) The Arena Football League Board of Directors approved the request by the Austin Wrangles to move from the AFL to the af2 developmental league beginning in the 2008 season. The team will retain its name and logo and continue to play in the Erwin Center. (See related article on June 20, 2007)

October 11, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association is losing two franchised in Pennsylvania next season. The Erie Freeze was not renewed for next season while the Johnstown Riverhawks are taking a year off but hope to return to the league in 2009.

October 13, 2007 – (College) The University of Toronto Varsity Blues sets a new college record for consecutive losses in Canada. The Blues dropped their 48th straight game in a 44-1 loss to the Western Mustangs on the road in London, Ontario. The previous record in Canada was held by the York Lions, which was set between 1988 and 1995. The Blues last win came during the 2001 season and was a 13-11 win over the Windsor Lancers. That win also broke an 18-game losing streak by the Blues. In the United States, the NCAA record for consecutive losses is 80 and was set by Division I-AA Prairie View A&M between 1989 and 1998.  

October 14, 2007 – (NFL) Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs sets a new NFL record for touchdown receptions for a tight end by catching the 63rd touchdown pass of his career. The milestone occurred in the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Gonzalez also caught his 64th touchdown pass later in the game. The previous record of 62 touchdown receptions by a tight end was set by Shannon Sharpe of the Denver Broncos in 2003. 

October 14, 2007 – (NFL) Quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers sets yet another record in the NFL. Favre was intercepted for the 278th time in his career during a game against the Washington Redskins. It breaks the record that was previously held by George Blanda of the Oakland Raiders. (See related article on September 30, 2007)

October 14, 2007 – (NFL) An overhead field camera fell to the turf in Seattle during the Sunday night game on NBC. The downed camera caused a 10-minute delay in the first quarter of the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the visiting New Orleans Saints. The camera was eventually moved to the sideline and was not used for the rest of the game. The Saints went on to win the game 28-17.

October 15, 2007 – (Obituary) Bob Padilla, a coach in college and the Canadian Football League, dies at the age of 71. Padilla began his coaching career as an assistant at Fresno State in 1968. He also coached at San Jose State from 1973-76, Michigan State from 1976-78 and then returned to Fresno State as the head coach from 1978-1980. He also coached at Washington State from 1980-1982 and Arizona State from 1982-84. Padilla was also an assistant coach with the NFL  Houston Oilers from 1984-1985. He then moved north to Canada where he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as their linebackers coach from 1987-1991. During that time he was a part of two Grey Cup championship teams in 1988 and 1990. He finished his career as a scout for the NFL St. Louis Rams.

October 15, 2007 - (UIF) The Ohio Valley Greyhounds of United Indoor Football have ceased operations. Low attendance and a lack of corporate sponsorship were major factors in the team folding. Greyhounds owner Lou Stein is looking to sell the team to someone who can move it to a larger market.

October 16, 2007 – (af2) The Lexington Horsemen are moving to arenafootball2 for the 2008 season. The Horsemen were members of United Indoor Football the last three years and play their home games in Rupp Arena.

October 16, 2007 - (Arena) The Arena Football League announced that the Las Vegas Gladiators are moving to Cleveland for the 2008 season. The team will play its home games in the Quicken Loans Arena. Gladiators owner Jim Ferraro is bringing in former Cleveland Browns quarterback and Ohio native Bernie Kosar as the president, CEO and part owner of the team.

October 17, 2007 – (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association announced that it has awarded a franchise to the city of Prescott, Arizona for the 2008 season. The yet-to-be-named team will play its home games at the 5,100-seat Tim’s Toyota Center. 

October 19, 2007 - (CIFL) The Rock River Raptors of United Indoor Football are joining the Continental Indoor Football League for the 2008 season. The Raptors had been in the UIF since 2004 when they were known as the Tennessee Valley Raptors. The team moved to Rockford, Illinois in 2005.

October 20, 2007 – (Obituary) Bob Packard, who was the winningest coach ever at Division III Baldwin-Wallace, dies of a heart attack at the age of 64. Packard played football at the school and graduated from there in 1965. He was an assistant coach for a time and then became head coach at the school in 1981. He retired as coach of the Yellow Jackets in 2001 with a record of 156-54-2.

October 20, 2007 – (Obituary) Jim Mitchell, who played tight end for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969-1979, dies one day after his 60th birthday. Mitchell had suffered from diabetes in recent years which caused him to lose his eyesight. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 1969 and 1972 seasons. Mitchell played college football at Division I-AA Prairie View A&M in Texas. After retiring from the NFL, Mitchell was a coach at Division II Morehouse and Division I-AA Morris Brown colleges. He then returned to his hometown of Shelbyville, Tennessee and was a volunteer assistant coach for the city’s two high school football teams.

October 20, 2007 – (Obituary) Max McGee, who caught the first touchdown pass in Super Bowl history, dies at the age of 75. McGee fell from the roof of his Minneapolis home while blowing leaves off the roof. He played running back in college at Tulane and led the nation in kick returns in 1953. He was selected in the fifth round of the 1954 draft by the Green Bay Packers. After his rookie season, McGee joined the Air Force and was a pilot for two years. He then returned to the Packers in 1957. He played in the first two Super Bowls and retired from the NFL in 1967. After football, McGee went on to be a major partner in developing the Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant chain. He was also a radio broadcaster for the Packers from 1979-1998.

October 20, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football League announced that the Lakeland Thunderbolts will not be returning to the league in 2008 due to internal issues. The Thunderbolts were the League champions last season. (See related article on June 23, 2007)

October 20, 2007 - (College) The Grand Valley State Lakers set a new Division II record for consecutive wins. The Lakers beat Northwood University 51-20 on the road to earn their 35th straight victory. Grand Valley has a record of 92-5 over its last 100 games.

October 22, 2007 – (Obituary) Joanne Whitehouse, the wife of former Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman Reg Whitehouse, dies at the age of 72. Mrs. Whitehouse was named Miss Saskatchewan Roughriders and Miss Grey Cup in 1953 at the age of 18. At the time she was Joanne Baird. Reg Whitehouse played for the Roughriders from 1952-1966. 

October 23, 2007 – (NFL) The NFL has shortened the time that teams are allowed to use during the first and second rounds of the annual college draft. The time for each selection in the first round was reduced from 15 to 10 minutes while the second round time was reduced from 10 to seven minutes. Picks in Rounds three through seven will remain at five minutes each. The first day of the draft will also now consist of just the first two rounds instead of three rounds with the rest being conducted on Sunday. The 2008 NFL Draft, which will take place on April 26-27, will also have new starting times. The Saturday session will kick off at 3 PM EST instead of noon and the Sunday session will begin at 10 AM instead of 11 AM. 

October 24, 2007 - (CIFL) The Fort Wayne Freedom is introduced as a new expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League. The original Freedom team started out in the National Indoor Football League in 2003 and then moved to United Indoor Football in 2005. They ceased operations after the 2006 season and were replaced by the Fort Wayne Fusion of arenafootball2. The Fusion folded after one season.

October 25, 2007 - (af2) The Birmingham Steeldogs will not field a team during the 2008 season. The Steeldogs were one of the original arenafootball2 teams when the league debuted in 2000. They might return to the league in 2009 if new ownership can be found.

October 25, 2007 – (Arena) The Arena Football League Board of Directors voted to allow one defensive player on each team the use of on-field communication with coaches. Previously, only quarterbacks were allowed to have radio communication with coaches on the sideline. The AFL is the first pro football league to allow radios in the helmets of defensive players.

October 25, 2007 – (College) Chowan University, a predominantly white, private Baptist school in North Carolina, has been playing football as an Independent school since it moved up from Division III to Division II a few years ago. But in 2008, the school’s football team is joining the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a historically black conference. It is the first time that a predominantly white school has joined a historically black conference. If all goes well this season, the school might join the conference in other sports in 2009. 

October 26, 2007 – (College) The U.S. Department of Education has released a report that says the University of Michigan is not fully compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The investigation dates back to 1999 and could result in the termination of financial aid to the university. The school is already facing a lawsuit from the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America over similar charges involving wheelchair accessibility and access to concessions and bathrooms at the stadium. Wheelchair seating is limited to one row in each end zone and is not spread out around the stadium, as required by law. The stadium is set to begin a $226 million renovation project at the end of the current season which will add 83 luxury suites, 3,200 club seats, a new press box and at least 230 wheelchair accessible seats. The university has 10 days to respond to the report.

October 27, 2007 - (College) A new NCAA record for combined point in a game was set in 73-68 a win by Weber State over Portland State. The two Division I-AA teams combined for a total of 144 points.

October 28, 2007 - (NFL) The New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the first NFL regular season game ever played in Europe. The game was played in London's Wembley Stadium.

October 28, 2007 - (NFL) Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning becomes the first QB in NFL history to defeat all 31 of the other teams in the League with a 31-7 win over the Carolina Panthers. 

October 29, 2007 - (WIFL) The Osceola Ghostriders of the World Indoor Football League have ceased operations. The League is also shutting down after two of its five teams jumped to the American Indoor Football Association. (See related article on August 12 and September 27, 2007)

October 29, 2007 - (Obituary) Carrie Rozelle, the widow of former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, dies at the age of 70. Mrs. Rozelle founded the National Center for Learning Disabilities in 1977. Pete Rozelle was commissioner of the NFL from 1960-1989 and died on December 6, 1996.

October 29, 2007 – (Obituary) Sam Dana, the NFL’s oldest former player, dies of complications from an infection at the age if 104. During his playing days, he was known as Sam “Smoke” Salemi. He changed his name to Dana in 1945. Dana played college football at Columbia, St. John’s and Canisius during the early 1920’s. At Columbia, he played alongside a fullback named Lou Gehrig, who went on to play professional baseball. Dana played in one game for the NFL Hartford Blues in 1926 and played the entire 1928 season for the NFL New York Yankees, making $100 a game. While playing for the Yankees, he once caught a pass from Harry Stuhldreher, who was a member of “The Four Horsemen” when he played college football at Notre Dame. After football, he went on to become a special agent for the IRS, retiring in 1969.

October 30, 2007 – (Arena) The Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League have guaranteed that they will make the playoffs in 2008. If they don’t qualify for the playoffs, all of the team’s season ticket holders will get a 100% refund of the cost of their season tickets.

October 31, 2007 – (Obituary) John H. Baker, Jr., who was a defensive lineman in the NFL, dies at the age of 72. Baker played college football at North Carolina Central and then spent 11 seasons in the NFL playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. He was best known for a tackle on New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle in 1964. The result of the tackle was captured in a famous photo of a bloodied Tittle on his knees in the end zone. After football, Baker was the Wake County Sherriff in North Carolina from 1978-2002. He was elected to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Raleigh Hall of Fame just this year.    

November

November 1, 2007 – (College) Four players from Virginia Tech, including starting quarterback Sean Glennon, had to wear the white, road jerseys of the opposing team during a game at Georgia Tech. The four jerseys came up missing before the game. The player’s names were hand written on the backs of the jerseys with a black marker and the Russell Athletic logos were covered over because Georgia Tech has a contract with Nike as their official sponsor. The Nike logo was drawn on the jerseys by hand.  Virginia Tech won the game 27-3.

November 3, 2007 - (College) In the 100th meeting between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines, it was the Wolverines who came out on top by the score of 28-24. Michigan now leads the all time series 67-28-5.

November 4, 2007 - (NFL) Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre becomes the second QB in the League to beat all of the other 31 NFL in a 33-22 win on the road over the Kansas City Chiefs. (See related article on October 28, 2007)

November 6, 2007 - (AIFA) The Augusta Spartans have changed their name. With the move from the defunct World Indoor Football League to the American Indoor Football Association, the team will now be known as the Augusta Colts. (See related article on September 27, 2007)

November 7, 2007 - (UIF) Dakota Crow, the Executive Director and Commissioner of United Indoor Football, has resigned from his position with the League after three years at the helm. Crow will now become the President and General Manager of the one of the team within the League, the Omaha Beef. A search for a new commissioner is now underway.

November 7, 2007 – (Obituary) Paul Dojack, who was a referee in the Canadian Football League for 23 years, dies at the age of 93. Dojack retired from the League in 1970 and was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He worked 15 Grey Cup championship games during his career, including the first ever Grey Cup overtime game in 1961. 

November 8, 2007 – (CIFL) A new expansion team is announced in the Continental Indoor Football League. The Saginaw Sting has signed a three-year agreement to play its home games in the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.

November 8, 2007 – (CFL) The average attendance during the recently completed regular season of the Canadian Football League was 29,167, the highest average since 1983. It was also the sixth straight season that the League has surpassed a total of two million fans in a season. The total attendance for 2007 was 2,100,016. 

November 10, 2007 - (College) DNA tests on the recently exhumed body of former Notre Dame great George Gipp showed that he is not the father of a girl born shortly after his death in 1920. The woman who claimed to be Gipp's daughter, Bette Bright Weeks of Crown Point, Ind., died last January at the age of 86. (See related article on October 4, 2007)

November 10, 2007 - (College) In the final game ever played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Miami Hurricanes lost to the Virginia Cavaliers by the score of 48-0. It was the largest margin of victory ever at the stadium. This was the Hurricanes 468th game played at the Orange Bowl, which opened in 1937. It has been the site of many memorable games including Super Bowl III in 1969 and Doug Flutie's Hail Mary Pass that gave Boston College a win over Miami in 1984. (See related article on August 21, 2007)

November 10, 2007 - (College) The Navy Midshipmen and the North Texas Mean Green set a new NCAA Division I-A record for combined points scored in a game. Navy beat North Texas 74-62, a total of 136 points. The previous record was 133 points on Oct. 2, 2004 when San Jose State defeated Rice 70-63 for a combined 133 points. On October 14 this season, Boise State beat Nevada 69-67, for a combined 136 points, but that game went into four overtimes. (See related article on October 27, 2007)

November 10, 2007 - (College) Mike Flynt 59-year-old grandfather and linebacker at Division III Sul Ross State, played the last three minutes and 39 seconds of a 56-35 home loss to Mississippi College. (See related article on August 22, 2007)

November 11, 2007 – (Obituary) Dick Nolan, who played and coached in the NFL, dies at the age of 75. Nolan had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and prostate cancer the last several years. He played college football at Maryland and then went on to play nine seasons in the NFL for the New York Giants, Chicago Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, mostly at safety. After retiring as a player in 1962, Nolan spent six years as an assistant coach with the Cowboys. He was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1968-1977 and head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1978-1980. His overall coaching record was 71-85-3. Nolan was also the father of current 49ers head coach, Mike Nolan.

November 11, 2007 – (NFL) Green Bay Packers quarterback Bret Favre becomes just the second QB in NFL history to surpass 60,000 career passing yards. Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino is the other. The milestone occurred in a 34-0 win on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.

November 13, 2007 - (Intense) The new Fairbanks, Alaska team in the Intense Football league finally has a name. The team will be known as the Fairbanks Grizzlies. (See related article on October 10, 2007)

November 15, 2007 – (Lawsuit/College) Relatives of George Gipp are suing ESPN and others over the recent exhumation of the former Notre Dame football star’s body for a DNA test. The lawsuit also names sports writer Mike Bynum, Gipp’s great-nephew, Rick Frueh, who was the one who requested the DNA test, the medical examiner who authorized the exhumation and the owner of the local funeral home who transported Gipp’s body. ESPN was there filming the event. The lawsuit is seeking $25,000 in damages. (See related article on October 4 and November 10, 2007)

November 16, 2007 - (Obituary) Rick Frazier, a coach in the Arena Football League as well as its developmental league, arenafootball2, dies at the age of 53 after a bout with pneumonia. Frazier was the head coach of the AFL Milwaukee Mustangs from 1998-2001. He was also the coach of the Norfolk Nighthawks in 2003. In 2004, Frazier was the defensive coordinator of the AFL Grand Rapids Rampage, but was elevated to interim head coach for the final five games of the season after head coach Bob Cortese was fired. He was the head coach of the af2 Quad City Steamwheelers in 2005 and 2006 and spent the past season as the defensive coordinator of the af2 Bakersfield Blitz. 

November 18, 2007 – (NFL) In a game that featured a match-up of the oldest pair of starting quarterbacks in NFL history, it was the younger QB who came out on top. Brett Favre, age 38, and the Green Bay Packers defeated Vinny Testaverde, age 44, and the Carolina Panthers by the score of 31-17 at Lambeau Field.

November 19, 2007 – (College) Division I-AA LaSalle University has dropped its football program for the second time. The program was first dropped in 1941 and was brought back in 1997. The Explorers finished the regular season this year with an 0-10 record. The team had been members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

November 19, 2007 – (Obituary) Jim Ringo, who played and coached in the NFL, dies at the age of 75. Ringo played college football at Syracuse and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1953 draft as a center. He was with the Packers until 1963. As legend goes, Ringo went in to talk about his contract with Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi and brought along an agent, something that was unheard of at the time. Lombardi was so offended by the agent’s presence that he traded Ringo to the Philadelphia Eagles on the spot. Ringo played for the Eagles from 1964-1967. During his playing career he was voted to the Pro Bowl 10 times. He was also the head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 1976 and 1977. Ringo was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. 

November 20, 2007 - (af2) A new expansion team has been added to arenafootball2 for the 2008 season. The Daytona Beach ThunderBirds will play their home games at the Ocean Center. The Daytona Beach Thunder of the now defunct World Indoor Football League played there earlier this year.

November 20, 2007 - (AIFA) The new expansion team in the American Indoor Football Association in Prescott, Arizona finally has a name. The team will be known as the Arizona Adrenaline. (See related article on October 17, 2007)

November 23, 2007 - (College) University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan threw five touchdown passes in a 39-27 win over Boise State to set a new NCAA record. He now has 126 touchdown passes in his career. The previous record was 121 set by Ty Detmer of BYU in 1991. Hawaii is now 11-0 on the season. The win also gave the Warriors the Western Athletic Conference championship.

November 23, 2007 – (College) The Vanier Cup, the championship game of Canadian Intercollegiate Sport (Canada’s college football national championship) is played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The Manitoba Bisons defeated the Saint Mary’s Huskies 28-14.

November 25, 2007 – (CFL) In the 95th Grey Cup championship game, the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19. The game was played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. (See related article on November 23, 2007)

November 26, 2007 – (NFL) The Monday Night Football game on ESPN was delayed about 25 minutes due to an electrical storm in Pittsburgh. When the game finally did begin, the player introductions and the National Anthem were not performed due to TV time constraints. In the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Miami Dolphins 3-0 on a 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining in the game. The Dolphins record dropped to 0-11 on the season.

November 27, 2007 – (Obituary) Sean Taylor, a safety with the Washington Redskins, dies from a gun shot wound to the leg at the age of 24. Taylor was shot by an intruder in his home the day before. He was shot in the upper leg which damaged an artery, causing a significant amount of blood loss. He was an All-American at the University of Miami. Taylor was the fifth overall selection in the 2004 draft by the Redskins. Police are investigating the shooting.

November 27, 2007 – (Obituary) Dr. Robert Cade, inventor of the sports drink Gatorade, dies of kidney failure at the age of 80. Cade was working at the University of Florida in 1965 when he came up with the drink in order to help the school’s football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes during games.

November 28, 2007 - (Arena) The new Cleveland franchise in the Arena Football League announced that it will keep the same nickname that it had when it was in Las Vegas and New Jersey. The team will be known as the Cleveland Gladiators. (See related article on October 16, 2007)

December

December 1, 2007 - (WPFL) The SoCal Scorpions defeated the Houston Energy 14-7 to tin the Women's Professional Football League title.

December 3, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football Association has signed an agreement with the Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Florida to play there in 2009. It is unclear at this time if the Lakeland Thunderbolts or another team will call the arena home. (See related article on October 20, 2007)

December 3, 2007 - (AIFA) The American Indoor Football League announced that it has awarded an expansion franchise to Kearns, Utah which is just south of Salt Lake City. The team will be known as the Utah Saints and will play its home games in the Utah Olympic Oval. The team will play in the AIFA West Division along with the Wyoming Cavalry, Arizona Adrenaline and one other team that has yet to be announced. (See relater article on November 20, 2007)

December 4, 2007 – (Obituary) Jake Gaudaur, the former commissioner of the Canadian Football League, dies of cancer at the age of 87. Gaudaur was the commissioner of the CFL from 1968-1984. Gaudaur played in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes, Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats He won a Grey Cup as a player with the Tiger-Cats in 1953. He then went on to be the President and General Manager of the team from1956-1967. He was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and was made an officer of the Order of Canada in 1985. He was also elected to Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame in 1990.

December 6, 2007 - (AAFL) Team Tennessee of the All American Football League announced the Andy Kelly will be the head coach of the team. Kelly quarterbacked the Tennessee Volunteers in college from 1988-1991. He then spent 15 seasons playing in the Arena Football League from 1993-2007. He was the second QB in AFL history to throw 800 career touchdowns. (See related article on April 27, 2007)

December 8, 2007 - (College) Quarterback Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators is awarded the 2007 Heisman Trophy. Tebow becomes the first Sophomore to ever win the award. All other previous winners were either Juniors or Seniors.

December 10, 2007 – (Obituary) George Morris, a linebacker at Georgia Tech in the 1950’s, dies at the age of 76. Morris suffered an apparent heart attack while sitting in his car outside of a restaurant in Atlanta. He was a member of the Yellow Jackets 1952 undefeated team. In 1951 and 1952 the team posted a 23-0-1 record. He played briefly in the NFL and from 1960-1989 was a college football official in the Southeastern Conference. Morris is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

December 11, 2007 – (CFL) The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League have guaranteed that they will make the playoffs in 2008. If the team fails to make the playoffs next year, season ticket holders will get 25% off the price of their 2009 season tickets. The Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League made a similar guarantee in October. If the Rattlers don’t make the playoffs in 2008, they will give a 100% refund to its season ticket holders. (See related article on October 30, 2007)

December 13, 2007 – (Arena) The Tampa Bay Storm have a new owner. He is Dr. Robert Nucci, an orthopedic surgeon from Tampa. Nucci takes ownership of the team from Woody Kern, who owned the team for the past 13 years.

December 14, 2007 - (College) Appalachian State defeated Delaware 49-21 to win the Division I-AA National Championship. It is the third year in a row that the Mountaineers have won the national title on what is known as the Football Championship Subdivision. (See related article on September 6, 2007)

December 15, 2007 - (College) Carroll College defeated Sioux Falls 17-9 in the championship game of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Carroll College ended the season with a 15-0 record and broke a 27-game winning steak by Sioux Falls.

December 15, 2007 – (College) Former Alabama quarterback Joe Namath, 64, finally gets his college degree from the school. Namath received his degree in a graduation ceremony with 900 other students after spending the last five years participating in the school’s External Degree Program. Namath left the school in 1965 to pursue a career in the NFL and led the New York Jets to a win in Super Bowl III.

December 15, 2007 - (College) The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated Mount Union 31-21 to win the Division III National Championship. This was the third straight year that the two teams have met in the D-III championship game. Mount Union won the previous two.

December 15, 2007 - (College) Valdosta State defeated Northwest Missouri State 25-20 to win the Division II National Championship. It was the third consecutive year that NW Missouri State has lost in the D-II championship game.

December 16, 2007 – (NFL) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did something in their 37-3 win over the Atlanta Falcons that they have never done in the 32-year history of the franchise. They finally ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. Kick returner Michael Spurlock returned a first quarter kickoff 90 yards for a TD, the first for the team since they began playing in 1976. Over the years, 141 different players have returned 1,865 kickoffs, but never for a score, until today.

December 16, 2007 – (NFL) Quarterback Bret Favre of the Green Bay Packers passed former Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino to become the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yardage. The milestone occurred in a 33-14 Packers win on the road at the St. Louis Rams. Marino accumulated 61,361 yards in his 17 seasons in the league. Favre now has 61,405 yards.

December 16, 2007 - (Arena) The Arena Football League announced that ArenaBowl XXII will be played in New Orleans again in 2008. The game will take place on Sunday, July 27. (See related article on July 29, 2007)

December 18, 2007 – (NFL) In a twist of irony, Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, who was killed in a robbery at his home last month, was selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl. (See related article on November 27, 2007)

December 18, 2007 - (CIFL) The newest expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League finally has a name. The team, which is located in Flint, Michigan, will be known as the Flint Phantoms. Pete Norager is the team's owner. He was also the owner of the League's now defunct Port Huron Pirates last season. The Phantoms will play their home games at the Perani Arena in Flint.

December 21, 2007 - (Obituary) Rocco Moore, an offensive lineman in the NFL, dies of an apparent heat attack at the age of 52. Moore played college football at Western Michigan University from 1973-1976 and was named a First Team All-Mid-American Conference player in 1976. He was drafted by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles in 1977 but never played for the team. He did play for the Chicago Bears in 1980. In 2005, Moore was named to the Western Michigan University All-Century team.

December 26, 2007 - (NFL) The December 29 game between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants will be simulcast on three different television networks. Originally, the game was scheduled to be broadcast on the NFL Network, but many cable companies do not carry the League's network so may people would not be able to see the game. The Patriots are currently 15-0 and trying to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to go undefeated in the regular season. The game will also be shown live on CBS and NBC.

December 29, 2007 - (College) Head coach Joe Paterno, 81, of Penn State, coaches his 500th college football game. The Nittany Lions defeated Texas A&M 24-17 in the Alamo Bowl. Paterno now has 372 career victories.

December 29, 2007 - (NFL) The New England Patriots became the first team to post a 16-0 regular season record with a 38-35 win over the New York Giants in New York. The game was aired on The NFL Network as well as NBC and ABC. (See related article on December 26, 2007)

December 31, 2007 - (Obituary) Tony Elliot, who played nose tackle for the NFL New Orleans Saints for seven seasons, dies of natural causes at the age of 48. Elliot played college football at North Texas and was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. In 2000, after he retired from football, Elliot was paralyzed from the waist down in a shooting.