I just figured this would put smiles on a few faces:

With the recent death of Buckeye/Brown legend Bill Willis and murder of Sean Taylor of the Redskins, we can all use a little chuckle. While on Munch's "Brownout" segment on WKNR yesterday, Aaron Shea recalled a more light-hearted story regarding break-ins.

Apparently, one night while he was still with the Browns, Tim Couch had called Shea saying that he had heard someone pick up another phone receiver in his home, and the "Extension in Use" light turned on. For fear of looking "like an idiot" if it was a false alarm, Couch decided to ask Aaron to come over and check it out instead of the police.

Shea obliged, and left his Westlake home to come to Tim's aid armed with a baseball bat. When he arrived at the house, he called from his cell phone and told Couch to come down the stairs and flip on the lights at the count of three. He would charge into the front door, and the intruder would have the surprise of two professional football players gunning for him.

He took a deep breath, counted to three, and burst in the door...No Couch.

"That chicken was still in his room," Aaron laughed.

Couch had stayed put in his bedroom, ready to ambush any would-be intruders, and later told Shea that he basically wasn't going to come out unless he knew there was no one in the home.

Now, Tim Couch may have had his problems in Cleveland, but just about all of us can attest to the fact that he is pretty much an all-around good guy. To picture him and Shea, two grown men - not just grown men, big grown men...professional football player grown men - sneaking around Tim's home and looking for bad guys like two teenagers at a slumber party made me laugh so hard I nearly pissed myself.

"Be vewwwy vewwwy quiet. I'm hunting intwooders...huhuhuhuh"

When the Carolina Panthers selected wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett on Saturday, current Panthers receiver Keyshawn Johnson - who was covering the event with ESPN - seemed very excited about the season to come. Here was a young, impressionable, and talented young man from his alma mater whom he would help groom and tutor over the next year or so.

[cue loud buzzer sound]

There was a lot of talk after the close of the 2006 season about whether or not Johnson would come back and play for new offensive coordinator (and former Browns O-line coach) Jeff Davidson and the new system he would bring. Panthers GM Marty Hurney said that he was sure that Johnson would, in fact, play in 2007. And he was lying.

The St Petersburg Times has reported that Keyshawn was cut from the team today, even after paying him a $3 million roster bonus just a month ago. Johnson remained in good spirits, despite having to look for yet another team, however.

"They said they wanted to get younger,'' Johnson said. "That's fine with me. I'd like to go somewhere and help someone win another Super Bowl.''

If he is somehow unable to find a taker, he will likely join the ranks of former players such as Steve Young and Tiki Barber with a career in broadcasting.

It appears that Atlanta Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams will not be starting the season with the team, as he tore his pectoral while he was lifting weights. Not only will he possibly be out for months, he didn't even do it before draft weekend to give Atlanta a chance to help themselves...

C'mon, Demorrio! Where's that "team-first" attitude?

It appears that the Save LT from Madden campaign has been successful, but Titans fans may now be wishing they had started their own campaign. Reports are saying that last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Vince Young will be on the Madden '08 cover.

The infamous cover spot has been thought to bring players nothing but grief and bad luck throughout the past few years, and Young appears to be next in line behind Shaun Alexander, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb and others who have suffered injury or an overall lack of production following having their mugs on the popular game cover.

An announcement is expected to confirm the report later today. For Tennessee fans, I guess it was good while it lasted...

Former Browns - turned Lions guard Ross Verba was arrested Tuesday on a felony warrant in Nevada for passing bad checks.

Verba was no doubt one of Joe Cullen's drinking buddies, and if you lived in Cleveland between 2001 and 2005, you've probably kicked him out of at least one house party...you know how light weights can be after slamming a couple Zima's.

Verba was arrested after the car he was a passenger in was pulled over for speeding. He spent a night in jail and was later released after the issue was smoothed over.

Apparently strippers, blow and pool parties can cut far into any budget - even one dictated by a multi-million dollar contract.

Verba spent a few years as a starter for the Browns, but was often sidelined due to injury. He paid over $450,000 to be released by the Browns, and was signed by the Lions this year after not playing anywhere last season. His injury problems seemed to continue as he was out for the final few games with a groin injury suffered against the Vikings.

Now, someone please refresh my memory:

Didn't this guy leave because he thought he was something like the third best guard in the league and didn't want to play tackle? Probably not the most in-depth research put into that one, but who cares...it's Ross Verba. Later, loser-boy

ESPN is reporting that Tyler Brayton will be fined $25k, but not suspended by the NFL for his scuffle with Seahawks tight end, Jerramy Stevens, in which he kneed Stevens in the groin and was ejected from the game.

Stevens will also be fined a lesser amount ($15k) for provoking Brayton during the altercation.

What kind of pat on the ass punishment is this? I'm not saying twenty-five G's isn't a lot of money, but the man acted like a child and cast a blanket of shame on the game in front of the entire country, and he gets to play on Sunday. That just doesn't make any sense at all to me.

A message to NFL league executives: Grow a pair and punish those who embarass your league!

The only thing that might eclipse the fact that the Raiders are now the only team to ever be shut out twice in one season on Monday Night Football, is the UFC style knee to the groin of Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens thrown by Oakland defensive end Tyler Brayton. Brayton was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and immediately ejected from the game.



The Raiders defense was no doubt frustrated after what was a very decent showing, but the team was unable to overcome their offensive shortcomings as they were shut out by Seattle 16-0.

Now, I don't personally care what this guy's excuse is or if he apologizes. What he did was a disgrace to the game, and if he's not suspended for at least a couple games, the NFL needs to take a long look at what they consider "acceptable behavior."

I guess all we can really do is wait to see what they do about it.

After the dismal play of the Cowboys in the first half of last night's Monday Night Football game, the Tuna, Bill Parcells, made the decision to replace the quite literally statuesque Drew Bledsoe with the younger, more mobile Tony Romo - much to the pleasure of Dallas fans.

Bledsoe had been sacked four times in the first half, including one time for a safety. After he had thrown an interception on the Giants' 1-yard line that could have put the Cowboys up for the first time in the game, the Tuna pulled the plug on the perpetually immobile QB.

"It was too many mistakes," he said.

Cowboy fans were overjoyed to see Romo take the field to begin their first posession of the 2nd half, but they were immediately quieted when his first play was an interception.

Romo did better on his second drive. Dallas was unable to come back, however, and was overcome by the Giants by a score of 36-22.

After the game, Bledsoe was seen exiting the tunnel stating that Parcells had made "a very bad decision."

It is unclear who will be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, and neither Parcells nor owner Jerry Jones commented on the future of the position.

Add fullback Bryan Johnson to the growing list of injury grievances against the Chicago Bears. Johnson was waived from the club very shortly after a surgery to his hamstring.

The Chicago Sun Times reported that although the Bears apparently tried to negotiate a worker's compensation settlement, the NFL Players Association strongly discourages agents from accepting such offers.

Johnson is just the most recent to file a grievance against the club. Former Bears kicker Doug Brien as well as Michael Haynes currently have pending cases filed - Brien's is almost a year old.

''It's disappointing the situation has been handled like this, and it's disappointing the same thing has happened to a couple of my former teammates," said Brien.

Apparently the Bears are not looking to make a very big splash during the next free agency period, as big name veterans - or any veterans, for that matter - are not likely to move to a team that seems to be starting a pattern of mistreating their injured players.

Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that an 8 month investigation has shown that Reggie Bush - rookie running back for the Saints, last years Heisman trophy winner and 2nd overal pick in the 2006 NFL Draft - had apparently accepted benefits worth over $100,000 from agents while he was still playing at USC.

The benefits, which could lead to NCAA sanctions against his former school - including stripping USC of their 2004 national title - and may also cost him his Heisman trophy, included airline tickets, hotel stays, suits and makeovers for his family for the Heisman ceremony, and payments of over $1,500/week to his family.

Bush has so far refused to comment on the findings.