On the Road: L.A. on Day 3
(Editor's note: In addition to his team reports, Jason Cole will share some of the off-field highlights of his preseason travel.)
Los Angeles
Day 3: Yeah, yeah, I know, there's no NFL team in Los Angeles. But there certainly are people here who want to bring a team back here, such as Ed Roski and Casey Wasserman. The only problem is that these two, and a host of others who have talked about returning a team to my hometown, never have been able to work together very well. Roski is currently working on a stadium project in the City of Industry. Wasserman is talking again about a new place near downtown L.A.'s Staples Center. Both projects have serious advantages and disadvantages, but the bottom line is that neither is going to get started until a team is committed to moving here. Oh, and I'll be meeting with some sources on the continuing coverage of the Reggie Bush(notes)/USC story. Should be fun.
T.O. thoughts from Dallas: As former Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens(notes) struggles to find work, a couple of people from the Cowboys organization said they aren't surprised at Owens' unemployment, and scoffed at any talk of blackballing. "He's just not very good anymore," one Cowboys front-office person said. "It's not the drops; that's always been an issue. It's that he's lost a step and he doesn't like contact. He never did, but now he won't run through the defense anymore so he's only playing outside the numbers. It's really easy for the defense to limit him." Another Cowboys employee just shook his head and said: "He still thinks he's the T.O. of three or four years ago. He's in great shape, but there are a lot of fundamental things he just doesn't do that hurt him a lot. A lot. It's hard for him to get open against any kind of challenging coverage." … A source close to Ravens rookie LB Sergio Kindle(notes) said the fractured skull he suffered in an accident last week at a friend's home in Austin, Texas, will not be a long-term problem. But there's no timetable for when he'll be able to practice; he's out for training camp. … No matter what DeMarcus Ware(notes) or any other Cowboy says, I think Dallas has made a mistake by doing this incredibly long training camp. The whole idea of reporting more than seven weeks before the start of the season adds to the burnout potential of a team that has had plenty of problems staying focused for the end of the season. Football is a sport that requires players to be ready to play as if they're shot out of a cannon. Making it even more of a marathon is a mistake, especially in this era of year-round training. … A tip of the cap to former Dallas guard Nate Newton, who had gastric-bypass surgery in April and has lost more than 100 pounds. Anyone who saw Newton limping around last year on his football-ravaged legs can attest to how much better he looks now.
Song of the morning: When you get up at 4 a.m. for a flight, there is a delicate balance between wanting to get energized for a couple of hours and staying tired enough that you'll sleep on the plane, leaving enough energy for the rest of the day upon arrival. So I flip on the radio and hear the Grateful Dead station on Sirius (fellow NFL scribe Alex Marvez dialed it up as we drove around looking for restaurants). Despite my California roots, the Dead aren't working for me at this hour. I flip to another station featuring '70s pop, which still isn't quite right, but I'm too tired to keep checking. The Eagles' "Take it to the Limit" is playing. Not great, but it reminds me of Etta James' version, which is much better. Sweet Etta's take (it's on her "Live from San Francisco" CD) is an over-the-top, growling, vocally strutting statement. Great power. Probably best suited for the end of the evening, as the song suggests, but it strikes the perfect balance for getting through the wee hours of the morning.
Food Network salute: It's on to Baby Blues BBQ in Venice, Calif., a spot I first saw on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" a few years ago. Baby Blues is the truth when it comes to ribs, even if it's not located in the Deep South. Given that I live in the South, I'll vouch for this place. Plus, the service is excellent.
