In this Aug. 2, 2011, file photo, Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd watches teammates practice during NFL football training camp at Olivet Nazarene...
Buffalo Bills' EJ Manuel, left, is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers' Jarvis Jones during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright) by Will GravesAP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — The ball was snapped and Jarvis Jones sprinted forward. A moment later, he was in the Buffalo Bills backfield. A split second after that, Buffalo quarterback E.J. Manuel tumbled meekly to the Heinz Field turf in apparent surrender. Jones stood up and walked back to the Pittsburgh Steelers huddle. No big celebration. No histrionics necessary.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) is sacked by Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Jerry Hughes (55) and Buffalo Bills free safety Jim Leonhard (35) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) It might just be me and maybe I see the glass as half empty but after the Steelers beat the Bills 23-10 on Sunday, I wasn’t left impressed. Sure, the game really wasn’t in question after the 2nd quarter but this victory was hollow. The Steelers beat a team who was just as bad as they are. The Bills are 3-6, so are the Steelers. If anyone expected the Bills to put on a display like the Patriots did a week prior, they don’t understand football.
Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68) and tackle Jonathan Martin (71) stand on the field during an NFL football practice in Davie, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) by Fred GoodallAP Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has broken his silence on the bullying scandal that has engulfed his team, saying he's appalled by Jonathan Martin's allegations of daily harassment by teammates. Ross said he plans to meet with Martin on Wednesday at an undisclosed location and that he has been in touch with the tackle by text. " I look forward to meeting with Jonathan Martin, discovering the facts," Ross said.
Dear Editor: In the Black community the Black professional athlete is often seen as a hero and role model. They are viewed as individuals who have overcome the barriers of poverty and racism.Some of these athletes make millions of dollars while other athletes make a comfortable living. Being a professional athlete affords many liberties that the average person does not have. The most important of these liberties is the ability to speak out and be heard. Some of our greatest athletes of the past used these liberties to help the civil rights movement. It appears that some Black NFL players of today use these same liberties to "whitewash" racist rants made by White teammates. For example, when Philadelphia Eagle wide-receiver Riley Cooper viciously used the -n- word at a Kenny Chesney concert, many Black players rushed to his defense.
In this Sept. 30, 2013 file photo, Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68), center left, and and tackle Jonathan Martin (71), center right, sit on the bench in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. About halfway between the start of exhibition games and the Super Bowl, there have been plenty of unwanted story lines. Bullying in the locker room, coaches collapsing, serious injuries to marquee players, the D.C. Council's call on Washington's pro football team to change its name _ examples from the past week alone. (AP Photo/Bill Feig, File) by Steven WineAP Sports Writer DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — The latest allegations from tackle Jonathan Martin went mostly unanswered Saturday by the Miami Dolphins, weary of fending off questions about the harassment case that has rocked the franchise. "I'm not going to give you nothing," offensive lineman Nate Garner told a throng of reporters in a genial tone. "I'm only talking about football," center Mike Pouncey said.
A group of veterans pose for a picture as part of the NFL's tribute to service at Heinz Field before the start of an NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright) At 2-6 the Steelers find themselves just trying to find a way to win a game or two. They are playing a pretty poor Buffalo team that may provide the Steelers the game they’ve been looking for. At this point however, no team is an easy win for the black and gold. The thought of playoffs and even a .500 record need to go away. It’s all about getting this win and finding out who truly can play in the system and who shouldn’t be here in 2014. That sentiment goes for the coaches too.
Former University of Pittsburgh and NFL Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett stands on the sideline before the start of an NCAA football game between Pittsburgh and Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) by Steve Almasy and Eliott C. McLaughlin (CNN) -- Tony Dorsett recalls a 1984 game against the Philadelphia Eagles when he was streaking up the field and an opposing player slammed into him. One helmet plowed into another. Dorsett's head snapped back, his helmet was knocked askew. "He blew me up," Dorsett told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I don't remember the second half of that game, but I do remember that hit." Dorsett compared the hit to a freight train hitting a Volkswagen.
