Reese Witherspoon Pregnant: See Her Baby Bump!

Credit: AKM-GSI

This Means Bump!
As multiple insiders confirm in the new Us Weekly, out now, Reese Witherspoon is pregnant with her third child -- her first with husband Jim Toth. And while the Oscar-winning actress, who turns 36 Thursday, isn't planning on announcing the big news, the evidence is becoming clear.
PHOTOS: Reese's body evolution

Credit: KVS/Bruja/PacificCoastNews.com

On Wednesday, just as Us Weekly broke news of her baby-to-be, Witherspoon and a female pal were photographed taking a two-hour hike in the Santa Monica Mountains near her home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. "You could definitely see a small bump, which she covered-up with a loose fitting sweatshirt," an observer says. The star "was in good spirits" during the strenuous hike, pointing things out to her friend along the trail.
PHOTOS: Reese, Jim and her kids
"Her baby bump is still small, but very noticeable," the onlooker adds. "But she is in great shape -- the hike was not that easy!"
Just a week and a half ago, in between promotional duties for her flick This Mean War, Witherspoon hung out by a hotel pool March 10 with gal pals in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Already mother to daughter Ava, 12, and son Deacon, 8, with ex Ryan Phillippe, the star covered up her small baby bump in a casual blue cotton dress worn over a bathing suit.

‘American Idol’ 2012: Top 10 perform Billy Joel songs

Who knew the Idolettes were so partial to Shannon Magrane, the very tall 16 year-old who was cut from the show last week? As Wednesday night’s episode opens, they are overwhelmed by tears over Shannon’s departure, until a photographer tells them to brighten up for a photo shoot because… This Is “American Idol”!
Enter the judges: Randy Jackson, wearing a shirt that looks like the rug in front of the concession stand of the AMC 13-plex at the end of a Saturday night…Steven Tyler wearing some kind of striped boating jacket and looking like a man who fell into the drink watching the Henley Regatta…and Jennifer Lopez in a form fitting leather number -- a sort of full-body Jimmy Choo.
Tonight is the song book of Billy Joel night on “Idol.” Congratulations, Billy Joel on reaching this pinnacle of your career. Nothing left but the Kennedy Center Honors now!
And who better to coach the Idolettes than the man who is known as The Man Who Nobody Has the Nerve to Say Is Nothing Like Billy Joel, Really – Sean Combs. What shall we call you tonight, Mr. Combs, among your rich catalogue of names? Just Diddy, apparently.
Plus…fashion advice from Tommy Hilfiger, the man known as The Poor Man’s Ralph Lauren.
How young is DeAndre Brackensick? Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley were already divorced when he was born, that’s how young. Diddy and “Idol” staff mentor Jimmy Iovine try to explain to DeAndre that “Only the Good Die Young” is about a shy teenager trying to win the favors of a Catholic girl; DeAndre is listening like a kid who’s never had a problem in that department. “Sing it to Jennifer, “ Jimmy advises. “She’s a Catholic girl.”
Tommy’s fashion advice to DeAndre is to perform with his hair not tied back. Tommy has apparently missed this season of “Idol” to date, which has seen plenty of DeAndre’s hair swinging.
DeAndre’s singing never quite gets on top of this song, though his hair does keep perfect time. The judges declare it the perfect way to start a Billy Joel retrospective.
The jazzy Erika Van Pelt gets told by the mentors to tone it down on “A New York State of Mind” and yet “deliver it like a New Yorker walking down the street.” So she may have been in a confused state of mind when Tommy Hilfiger gets his hands on her and convinces her to cut short her blonde hair, dye it, and style it like The New Darker Justin Bieber Look. And yet, she still delivers the song in her same, jazzy style. “Idol” teaches strength of character, that’s for sure.
JLo sees in her look “a Pat Benatar vibe” and advises her to loosen up on stage. Randy delivers some kind of sage advice about those who can, do, and those who can’t, don’t, adding that Erika did.
Billy Joel, a reach for sure for the gospel singer Joshua Ledet, and his choice of “She’s Got a Way” is as good as any. Diddy has his work cut out for him. “Once we got him to be present, to be all the way there, it’s magic,” Diddy affirms.
Tommy wants Joshua to look like a “polished superstar” in a tux.
Joshua does not wear a tux on stage. He is, however, wearing a dark jacket. He is a bit lost in the song until a gospel choir comes on stage to back him and this simple little love song begins to sound like the road to redemption.
JLo says he lacked conviction; Randy calls it half a good performance. Tyler follows along the same lines. Then they spend exactly as much time as they’d spent giving pointers in apologizing for giving pointers.
Country Idolette Skylar Laine is awed by Diddy and asks for his autograph. His coaching: “the truth will make you free.” Diddy is pleased with the results. “You loved that she loved you,” Jimmy snarks.
Tommy looks at Skylar’s fringed cowboy boots on rehearsal day. Skylar tells Tommy she owns a lot of boots. “Let’s try evolving your look without abandoning your boot idea,” he says and he suggests that to go with her grey dress they consider “color matching the boots.”
She sings “Shameless” in leggings and high heels.
It’s a bit of a forced country fit for a Joel song. After, she tells the judges she modeled it on Garth Brooks’s version. “I love your attack” says JLo. “Every time you hit a chorus you hit it with such conviction,” Tyler adds.
Elise Testone “would look incredible in a pair of high-wasted bell bottoms, maybe a short jacket on top,” Tommy advises her during rehearsal.
Elise hits the stage in a floor-length red dress with a plunging neckline, and long black vest. Tommy Hilfiger: Most Ignored Fashion Maven In America!
Jimmy says he can’t figure why Elise is such a strong singer and winds up in the bottom three. He urges her not to go with the number she’s picked -- something from a footnote of the Billy Joel Songbook, “Vienna Waits for You,” warning her that if she picks a tune people don’t know, she could be toast (viewers do the voting in this competition).
Elise insists she was meant to sing this tune. She sells it hard with all kinds of riffs and high points, including a strange, if impressive melodic ending that may have been from Debussy.
Standing O from the wildly enthusiastic judges, who, in their comments, ooze desperation to keep Elise in the competition. Tyler: “Just brilliant…You picked your song, you picked your dress.” Randy: “she had a moment tonight…That run at the end is so difficult . I don’t know any singers that can sing it other than you.”
Phil Philips puts in some chat time with show host Ryan Seacrest – who, BTW, is on a one-man mission to bring back the three-piece suit -- while the Coca-Cola logo flashes next to Phil and the big red and white bubbles appear behind him. Okay, we get it: Idolettes from the South are good for Coke.
“Not to be rude but I think you need help,” Tommy tells Phil during the rehearsal process. Tommy apparently has not watched enough “Idol” to know that being The Scruffy Guy, like Phil, has often been a winning strategy on the show. Phil is quite insistent that “I just want to bring the music first.” Tommy warns him that no one should wear grey on camera because grey is very dull. A grey shirt would be just fine, Phil says. “America will not vote for him,” if he doesn’t follow Tommy’s advice, Tommy warns. America will not be “looking at a star.”
On to the musical mentoring. Diddy makes Phil stop singing and takes away Phil’s guitar. Diddy apparently has not watched enough “Idol” to know that being the Scruffy Guy with Guitar is THE winning formula for “Idol” these days.. But Diddy has an even better idea: make Phil sing to a group of hot chicks who inexplicably have appeared in the rehearsal room and we assume are Diddy’s entourage. Phil complies and sings to the chicks, now surrounding Diddy, but Phil looks ill at ease. As if Diddy would notice! “You got it!” Diddy shrieks.
On performance night, Phil is wearing not one, but two grey shirts. He’s also playing his guitar.
He performs a slowed down version of “Moving Out,” with a Later Bruce Springsteen take on the song, which we never noticed before is kind of an anguished protest song, even if Billy Joel didn’t write it, or sing it, that way.
The judges love it, particularly because it allows them to take a shot at their weekly tormentor, Jimmy Iovine, and maybe also at Diddy. Particularly JLo, who used to be a Diddy item: “I felt you were taking out a little bit of aggression on your mentors at the end there!” she gushed, approvingly. Randy points out that Tommy told him not to wear grey and he’s wearing “grey-on-grey” and Diddy took away his guitar and he’s got his guitar. Tyler tosses Phil one of his scarves which, only after much prompting from Ryan, Phil tosses to a gaggle of screaming tween girls who make up a huge “Idol” voting bloc and who we have to thank for the slew of scruffy guys with guitars who have won this thing for too many seasons. “I want the music to be first,” Phil repeats, we think, though it’s hard to hear him over the squealing.
Singing American Girl doll Hollie Cavanagh will perform “Honesty,” but there’s a problem in rehearsal. Jimmy thinks that, at 18, she hasn’t suffered enough disillusionment to convey the spirit of the song. So that leaves her, what three days before live show, to get disillusioned? Well, she puts on her best Disillusioned Face for the performance, and concentrates real hard on sounding embittered, with the result that her usually strong singing is frequently out of range and the overall effect is a mess. Overthinking, is the diagnosis of both Randy and Tyler. So now Hollie has a real disillusioned face.
Heejun Han, who at any time may or may not be punking those around him, seems to be sincere when he tells Jimmy and Diddy that he was hurt by the criticism from the judges last week. “You have to have tough skin,” Diddy advises him earnestly. Later, however, Diddy seems unsure as to whether he too was being punked. “I don’t know if he’s an actor or a con man,” Diddy tells Iovine. “I don’t even know if he’s Asian. Maybe he’s black.”
The guileless Tommy Hilfiger turns out to be the perfect straight man for Heejun. Tommy asks Heejun who he looks up to for fashion sense. “Jessica Sanchez,” says Heejun – Sanchez being a fellow Idolette. “Madonna?” Heejun guesses when Tommy suggests he try again. Tommy suggests he pick a guy fashion role model. “I think Heejun was testing me…I think he wanted to see if was going to push him,” Tommy affirms earnestly.
Heejun hits the stage in a tux and black knit cap, but the tux turns out to be a breakaway jacket to reveal the worse fashion choice of the evening: a patterned T-shirt over a red long sleeved dress shirt, and a knit cap. Heejun really works the stage, then the audience, then the stage again singing “My Life.” It’s frat-house antics and his diction isn’t up to the lyrics.
JLo raves about the goofy fun of it all. Then, for the first time since he joined “Idol,” a clearly annoyed Tyler clobbers an Idolette, sternly telling Heejun “the music business will kick your ass” and suggesting he “take it a little more serious.” Randy seems somewhat taken aback, and he compliments Heejun, apologetically, for having a good time.
“You want to look taller,” Tommy suggest to the tiny Jessica Sanchez. He likes the dress she has chosen though he suggests she shorten it.
During rehearsal, Jessica sings “Everybody Has a Dream” and Diddy interrupts her vocal histrionics, telling her, “I don’t believe you” because of her over-singing. He tells her to knock off the excess and Iovine tells her she’s a whole lot better when she stops swinging her head and flinging her hair and focuses on someone and sings to them, suggesting she sing to Diddy. She does, and she’s much better.
She does same during her performance. And, hey! She’s wearing the dress Tommy signed off on – score one for America’s Most Ignored Fashion Maven! Truth is, this song is pretty dull, but Jessica does a good job of wringing some interest out of it.
JLo thinks the performance “a defining moment.” Randy thanks Jimmy, Diddy and Tommy for their “excellent mentoring” of Jessica. Tyler says she’s beyond his critiquing, adding, “When god was giving out vocal cords you were SO at the front of the line!”
Last up is Colton Dixon and right away he and Tommy have a conflict over his skunk coxcomb hairdo. “I’m a little worried about the hair,” Tommy says, suggesting the haircut is a distraction. “My hair’s my baby,” Colton pouts, creepily. Tommy is right – the whole hair thing makes Colton look like one of the Angry Birds and at any moment about to dash off in hot pursuit of green pigs.
Colton is a good enough piano player so he’s got a slam dunk on his hands with “Piano Man.” He sings loud, he sings clear, he sings a near Billy Joel imitation, with some hammy bits. “I had goosies from head to toe!” Jennifer enthuses. “Your choice of chords when your voice resolved was stunning,” adds Tyler -- which in lay parlance means, “I had goosies from head to toe!” And Randy loves Colton’s hair.
So, good inning for Colton! But it gets better. Ryan asks about Colton’s seeming hesitance to start playing at the beginning of the number. Colton explains, “I’ve been praying before this whole thing…saying, ‘God, use me’.” Next week, Colton gets the Coke logo and the red and white bubbles – just you watch!

Singer El DeBarge Arrested in Daring Daylight Drug Deal

DeBarge, 50, whose real name is Eldra Patrick DeBarge, was busted by undercover cops near a freeway interchange in Los Angeles’ Encino neighborhood, an LAPD spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times.
Officers observed DeBarge and another man taking part in an apparent drug deal about 2 p.m. Monday, gossip website TMZ reports. Police also found illegal drugs in the area where DeBarge was standing, though they did not disclose what kind of drugs were found.
El DeBarge was arrested in connection with drug possession with intent to sell, according to the LAPD. That's a felony in California, punishable by up to three years in jail.
The possession element of the crime can be fulfilled in several ways: Actual possession means the drugs were found on the person; constructive possession means a person had access to the drugs and control over the drugs; and joint possession means two or more people had access to, and control over, the drugs. It's not clear what kind of possession El DeBarge was arrested for.
There are some defenses to a drug-possession charge: A defendant can try to argue the drugs belonged to someone else, or that he did not intend to sell the drugs. The quantity of drugs, and how they were packaged, may be factors in distinguishing personal use from intent to sell.
Following El DeBarge's arrest, he was booked at a jail and released on $30,000 bond, TMZ reports. The singer, who has spoken publicly about his drug-addiction problems in the past, faces a court date in April.

El DeBarge, the Grammy-nominated singer who scored a hit with “Rhythm of the Night” in 1985, was arrested in connection with a drug deal in the rhythm of broad daylight, police said.

Tim Tebow: Controversy follows as quarterback goes to New York Jets to back up Mark Sanchez

It took eight hours, but quarterback Tim Tebow finally, officially was traded by the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets on Wednesday night.
Even by Tebowmania standards, this was outrageous.
The Broncos and Jets worked out their differences over contract language that required the Jets to reimburse the Broncos for about $5 million Denver had advanced Tebow in 2011. The Jacksonville Jaguars jumped into the bidding for a bit, but, in the end the Jets and Broncos split the payment, freeing Tebow to bring what the Daily News calls “Timsanity” to New York to — get your popcorn — back up Mark Sanchez.
It wasn’t a feel-good moment for the Jets, who also had issues with their official Twitter feed. George R.R. Martin, “Game of Thrones” author and Jets fan, hates the move, especially because he doesn’t think “Tebow's conspicuous piety will play well in the Big Apple,” he wrote on his blog. “This is the city that once embraced Broadway Joe. Tebow would fit better in... well, if Branson, Missouri had an NFL team, that would be a perfect fit.”
Joe Namath, the team’s greatest player and critic, hates it, too, but for other reasons. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing over there right now. ... I’m baffled,” Namath told Michael Kay in an ESPN Radio interview. “They’re kind of mixed up over there. I’m talking about the folks that are making the decisions. ... Come on. This is crazy. I don’t know what it’s about. It appears the Jets are trying to grab headlines once again just by making noise.”

Tim Tebow beat Mark Sanchez (left) and the Jets in November. (Barry Gutierrez / AP) It should sell shirts and, perhaps, tickets, but what happens when Sanchez, who recently was given a contract extension, throws his first interception? And what happens with Drew Stanton, signed less than a week ago to back up Sanchez? Mike Tannenbaum explained what might seem like what Rich Cimini calls “a sucker punch to Sanchez.” “I’m looking at two head coaches [Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, who was with the Dolphins] who lost to Tim last year,” Tannenbaum said.
Although Namath thinks “Sanchez should be angry about what’s taken place,” Tannenbaum says, “Mark Sanchez is, has been and will be our starting quarterback. We’re adding Tim to be our backup and be used in other packages.”
Until that first interception, when everyone remembers that Tebow was 8-5 as a starter last season and led the Broncos to a playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tebow joins a team that battles internally as often as it on the field and it will be interesting to see how Tebow, known for his devout faith and clean-living ways, deals with a group that: has displayed frat-house behavior toward Ines Sainz, was embarrassed by Brett Favre’s frat-house behavior, was fined for a sideline tripping incident, had players fighting among themselves, had a player fined for flipping off the media, had a “corrupt mindset” ... among other headlines over the last few years.
“I wanted to play for Coach Ryan ever since I saw ‘Hard Knocks,’ ” Tebow said, with a laugh. “He just seemed like a coach who loves football and is passionate about the game of football. He’s definitely a players’ coach. I just love that about him.”
Ryan’s also a walking, talking bleepfest.
“How did I know I was going to get asked about this? I have so much respect for Coach Ryan,” Tebow said with further chuckles. “He’s a coach you want to play for, a coach you want to go out there and do good for. … There’s not many NFL locker rooms you’re going to go where you have the cleanest language, so I’m not too worried about that.”
Tebow hasn’t found an apartment yet and already there’s a “one Jet said” quote. “This kid will do everything in his power to start,” one team source told ESPN. What quarterback in the NFL wouldn’t, though? Tebow was having none of that Wednesday night.

New Orleans Saints were 'out of control,' Roger Goodell says

The odds that the New Orleans Saints will be the first NFL team to play a Super Bowl on their home field dropped sharply Wednesday.

Michael DeMocker/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, left, and Coach Sean Payton, were hit hard by the NFL

In response to a bounty program the league says the Saints ran from 2009 to 2011, Commissioner Roger Goodell unleashed on the franchise the most draconian punishments in pro football history. Most significantly, Coach Sean Payton was suspended without pay for the 2012 season and is essentially barred from involvement with the team beginning April 1.
In addition, General Manager Mickey Loomis is suspended for the first eight games of the upcoming campaign, the club is stripped of its second-round draft picks this year and next, linebackers coach Joe Vitt is suspended for the first six games in 2012, and a $500,000 fine was levied on the club.
The penalties might cripple the Saints during a period when the team has emerged as a perennial Super Bowl contender. Bereft of the most successful coach in team history as of April 1, the Saints are now slotted as a long shot for representing the NFC in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans next February.
Publicly, the team issued a docile apology; privately, a league source close to the situation said appeals are coming and said no attempt would be made to unscramble the coaching picture until those appeals are exhausted. The NFL acknowledged the coaches and executives do have the right to appeal, but in this case, that path leads right back to Goodell's door.
Saints owner Tom Benson remains unswerving in his support for all of his suspended lieutenants, according to a league source.
As bitter as Wednesday proved for the Saints and their fans, more pain awaits. Unspecified Saints players -- the league says 22 to 27 New Orleans defenders participated in the nefarious scheme over three seasons -- face possible fines and suspensions, too. Those punishments will be meted out after further discussion with the NFL Players Association, according to Goodell.
'We are all accountable'
Goodell made no effort Wednesday to dilute the poison pill he administered to the Saints' championship aspirations. After his announcement he made two television appearances, driving home his point that the bounties broke rules both prosaic and profound and, equally incriminating, his contention that Payton and Loomis orchestrated a web of lies to divert the attention of league gumshoes.
"We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game," Goodell said in a statement released by the league. "We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised.
"A combination of elements made this matter particularly unusual and egregious," he continued. "When there is targeting of players for injury and cash rewards over a three-year period, the involvement of the coaching staff, and three years of denials and willful disrespect of the rules, a strong and lasting message must be sent that such conduct is totally unacceptable and has no place in the game."
In his televised interviews, Goodell seemed to concentrate his fire on Payton, and he indicated that the duplicity and contempt with which the Saints' top echelon greeted the bounty scandal contributed to the decision to slam the team. The Saints were essentially, "out of control," Goodell said, and ran afoul of the NFL's sacrosanct edict against "conduct detrimental" to the league.
"I hold the head coach accountable," Goodell told ESPN. "One, having this program is very serious, but two is denying its existence to league investigators, to his own ownership -- I think that's a significant problem. Even if you're not aware of something, you should be aware of something like that and that is his direct responsibility."
With the NFL Network, Goodell was equally blunt.
"This went on for three years, and it was investigated. We were misled, there were denials throughout that period," Goodell said. "Clearly, we were lied to. We investigated this back in 2010. We were told it was not happening, and it continued for another two years."
Team offers 'sincere apology'
Though not completely unexpected, the severity of the sentence seemed to suck the oxygen out of the Saints. Punter Thomas Morstead tweeted he felt like he had "been punched in the gut" when the news broke.
The club took hours to muster a statement, even though it has braced for harsh justice since March 2, when Goodell first accused it of paying players for "knockout" or "cart off" hits that sidelined an opponent for all or part of a game.
In the end, the Saints threw themselves on the mercy of their fans and the city, while vowing the situation will never be repeated.
"We recognize our fans' concerns, and we regret the uncertainty this episode has created for them," the team statement began. "We are humbled by the support our organization has received from our fans today in the wake of this announcement, and we ask them to continue to stand with us, as they have done in the past, when both our team and our city have overcome greater adversities.
"To our fans, the NFL and the rest of our league, we offer our sincere apology and take full responsibility for these serious violations," the statement concluded. "It has always been the goal of the New Orleans Saints to create a model franchise and to impact our league in a positive manner. There is no place for bounties in our league, and we reiterate our pledge that this will never happen again."
While the team's public stance mirrored the professional tone it has adopted since the scandal engulfed it, there were some indications the club is outraged by what it considers unduly harsh punishments.
Cornerback Jabari Greer, a starter on all three Saints defenses under the microscope, bristled Wednesday at the NFL's depiction of New Orleans defenders.
"We are not innocent in this situation, but we are men of honor, we are men of integrity," Greer said. "We are not thugs or mercenaries. There's a picture being painted out there that we are men willing to do anything for a buck, and that is not true. This idea I would go out and deliberately try to injury my opponent and take away his livelihood? That is false, and it will not stand. I'm not going to stand for that."
Envelopes stuffed with cash
But the NFL was unequivocal Wednesday in accusing the Saints of the bright line some have drawn between more common "pay for performance" pay scales and "bounties."
"Payments were made for plays such as interceptions or fumble recoveries," the statement read. "Payments were also made for plays on which opposing players were injured."
The report offered another nugget of the NFL's proof on that point.
"A summary prepared following a Saints preseason game included the statement, '1 Cart-off - Crank up the John Deer (sic) Tractor,' in reference to a hit on an opposing player," the league wrote. "Similar statements are reflected in prepared documents or slides in connection with other games in multiple seasons. A review of the game films confirms that opposing players were injured on the plays identified in the documents."
From the beginning, the NFL has insisted its conclusions rest on "multiple, independent sources," and some 18,000 documents, all of which depict a rogue organization pooling thousands in player dollars to pay for vicious hits. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, hired by the Rams in January but as of Wednesday suspended by the league indefinitely, doled out cash-stuffed envelopes on Saturday night, according to the league, rewarding players for their underhanded maneuvers in the previous game.
In addition to Greer, some Saints players such as cornerback Tracy Porter and former safety Darren Sharper have repeatedly denied any malevolent sheen to their system, lumping it instead with the more traditional kind of bonuses paid for things like interceptions and fumble recoveries that can alter the course of a game. Even those payments are illegal, however, because they run afoul of the NFL's salary cap and its collective bargaining agreement with players.
NFL: Rodgers, Newton targeted
Regardless, Goodell's announcement said the Saints' scheme went much deeper, and he provided new details Wednesday to buttress the league's contention that the bounties extended beyond the infamous home playoff games following the 2009 season in which the Saints battered quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Brett Favre en route to Super Bowl XLIV.
Those two postseason games resulted in a combined $45,000 in fines against Saints defenders, even though all the plays in question did not draw penalty flags. Such was not the case, however, throughout the three-year period in question, the league noted.
"In each of the 2009-2011 seasons, the Saints were one of the top five teams in the league in roughing the passing penalties," the report read. "In 2009 and 2011, the Saints were also in the top five teams in unnecessary roughness penalties; in 2010, the Saints ranked sixth in the category."
In particular, Goodell said the Saints employed a bounty system against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Panthers signal caller Cam Newton, games that could only have taken place in 2011. Wednesday's report included a charge that Payton used the word "bounty" during the investigation in relation to the 2011 games.
"Prior to the Saints' opening game in 2011, Coach Payton received an e-mail from a close associate that stated in part, 'PS Gregg Williams put me down for $5000 on Rogers (sic),'" the report reads. "When shown the e-mail during the course of the investigation, Coach Payton stated that it referred to a 'bounty' on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers."
Payton said to be livid
The league also went public Wednesday with its allegation that Saints defensive captain and linebacker Jonathan Vilma offered $10,000 to any player who removed Favre from that 2009 NFC championship game. Vilma has not addressed the charge, but team officials said earlier this month he disputes it.
Williams, who issued one apology on March 2, released another Wednesday when the league's statement showed him as not only a key architect of the bounties, but also one of the NFL's main sources of information about it.
"Coach Williams acknowledged that he designed and implemented the program with the assistance of certain defensive players," Goodell's statement read. "He said he did so after being told by Saints head coach Sean Payton that his assignment was to make the defense 'nasty.'"
Williams "now acknowledges that when he was first questioned about this matter in early 2010, he intentionally misled NFL investigators and made no effort to stop the program," Goodell's statement continued.
Payton did not respond to a request for comment, but Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, a Payton confidant, said he spoke with the coach and described him as markedly upset with the commissioner's ruling. Payton was on a Wednesday afternoon flight to Dallas, where he keeps his permanent residence, but he got up when the aircraft was delayed at the gate, walked out and did not return, according to passengers.

Tim Tebow Jets Trade Barely Hides Crippling Problems: A Fan’s Take

Tim Tebow and the New York Jets were first linked together when Tebow had one of his big comebacks against the Jets last Nov. 17. Jets fans like myself saw that example of "Tebowmania" as one of the many things that kept New York from the playoffs last season. But we never thought that he would possibly come to New York to help bring them back in 2012 - and neither could many others.

But on Mar. 21, the NFL and the Big Apple were stunned to see that the Denver Broncos unloaded Tebow to the Jets instead of the Jacksonville Jaguars. As such, "Tebowmania" is now set to conquer New York - although the Jets still have a lot of other things to worry about.

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They have to worry about whether Mark Sanchez will revert back to form - especially now that another mega hyped quarterback is on the roster. They have to worry about whether the locker room atmosphere that poisoned last season can be rebuilt - especially now that a figure like Tebow has been planted in the middle of it. They have to worry about whether coach Rex Ryan really is all talk and cannot take New York over the hump - especially now that he has to juggle both Tebow and Sanchez.

Now they also have to worry about Tebow maniacs turning on the team - and Sanchez - at a moment's notice if they don't give the quarterback enough playing time. What he does with that playing time, at least before the final few minutes of a game, has always been a smaller issue when it comes to his fans. They all but held the Broncos at gunpoint until they put Tebow in over Kyle Orton, then lorded Tebow's success over John Elway and John Fox, although they likely wanted to dump him much sooner than they finally could.

They went so far as to sign Peyton Manning so that they could trade Tebow without being burned at the stake. Even Elway, who used to be the undisputed, most beloved quarterback in Denver history, would have been run out of town if the Broncos got rid of Tebow without landing Manning. If that could happen in Denver, what could possibly happen to Ryan, Sanchez and everyone else in New York if this move backfires?

It takes a stable, well managed team to handle this sort of delicate situation, and to be creative enough to use someone like Tebow well. The Broncos were able to be that team for at least the last half of 2011 - whereas the Jets were the most dysfunctional team in the NFL in years. Asking them to completely reverse that in one year would have been hard enough, but doing it while at the center of "Tebowmania" is pushing it.

While Tebow gives the Jets their most positive headlines in months - at least in some circles - it doesn't disguise the various issues that still hang around the team. Their problems killed them last season, and if they take Tebow down with them next year, the entire Ryan/Sanchez administration may not be able to recover.

Normally a team doesn't gamble so much on a now backup quarterback - but Tebow isn't an ordinary backup and the Jets are even less of an ordinary team than ever before. That wasn't a good thing for New York last season, and it will be even worse in 2012 if/when Tebow can't overshadow their crippling flaws for too long

David Garrard signs with Dolphins

MIAMI -- Quarterback David Garrard signed a one-year contract Monday with the Miami Dolphins and said he was told he'll be given a shot at the starting job.
He's not sure yet who else will be part of the competition, though.

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The Dolphins are apparently giving David Garrard a chance to start. James Walker isn't quite sure what Miami is doing -- or thinking -- these days. Blog

The Dolphins reached agreement with the former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback after failed courtships with Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn. They also hosted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith for a visit Sunday and may still consider signing him.
"They didn't say for sure they were bringing another guy in, but they said it's a possibility, whether in the draft or whatever," Garrard said in a phone interview.
For now, Garrard and incumbent Matt Moore are the contenders for the job.
"It's going to be a great competition, and I'm all about that," Garrard said. "I'm going to do my best to make sure it's me on opening day."
The Dolphins also told safety Yeremiah Bell he'll be released to create cap space, a person familiar with the discussions said. The person confirmed the discussions to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins hadn't announced a move.
By cutting Bell, the Dolphins save more than $4 million in cap space, which could be used in negotiations with Smith.
The 34-year-old Garrard, a starter for Jacksonville from 2005-10, didn't play last season. He was released five days before the opener by the Jaguars, and Miami courted him last year after quarterback Chad Henne's season was ended by a shoulder injury.

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But Garrard didn't sign, and instead underwent back surgery in October. He considered retirement, he said, but is now 100 percent and eager to extend his career another year.
"It was taken away from me, and it gave me a great perspective on life and this game," he said. "I want to make sure when I leave this game, I do it when I'm ready to go, and there's never any remorse or thought of, could I have done more?"
Garrard apparently impressed the Dolphins with his workout Monday, and he said he was impressed by new coach Joe Philbin and his staff.
"I just love the vibe," Garrard said. "I love everybody's mission and goal, and the purpose they have and the direction they're heading."
Garrard's best season was in 2007, when he threw 18 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. He topped 3,500 yards passing in 2008 and 2009, and he's 39-37 as a starter in nine seasons, all with Jacksonville.