Bear Pascoe holding fort at tight end for Giants
Football Betting Lines
08/12/2010 -
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -Watching the New York Giants tight ends at training camp these days is pretty simple - there's Bear Pascoe.
With four of the five tight ends at camp sidelined by minor injuries, Pascoe has gotten almost all the work. Whether it's one practice or two, the second-year pro has been the main target for quarterbacks Eli Manning, Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar, and he is loving every exhaustive second.
The performance has impressed coach Tom Coughlin and put Pascoe on the road to earning a spot on the roster.
``I think anyone should welcome this,'' Pascoe said Wednesday between practices. ``It's a chance to get better and a chance to show how hard I can work and that I'm a guy who can last, that I have durability and toughness. I can take that pounding and keep going.''
Kevin Boss has the Giants' starting job nailed down despite ankle and hamstring injuries.
There are one or two other spots open, and second-year pros Travis Beckum (hamstring), Scott Chandler (hip flexor) and rookie Jake Ballard (hamstring) aren't doing themselves any good watching from the sidelines at the University at Albany.
``I feel terrible when I look out there and see just Bear out there,'' Boss said. ``I feel terrible for him. It's real hard to watch and sit back there and not be able to help him out.''
Surprisingly, Pascoe says he feels great. There might be a little tightness in his calves, but other than that, he's healthy and has improved with the added workload.
Pascoe expects a lot out of himself. He just missed making a diving catch in practice Wednesday morning. While he could have blamed fatigue, he didn't.
``It hit my hands, I should catch it, that's the responsibility as a wide receiver and tight end,'' Pascoe said. ``If it is in our area, we should come down with it.''
Tight ends coach Mike Pope teased Pascoe about his workload before practice.
Pascoe's real first name is McKenna, the name of a priest who married his parents. Everyone started calling him 'Bear' as a youngster because he was just a lot bigger than his friends.
Pope likes the idea of mixing up Pascoe's names.
``Coach Pope was playing around before practice when we were stretching,'' Pascoe said. ``He's like on one play I am going to call 'Bear' and on the next I'll call 'McKenna.' We'll fool the defense.''
Actually, Pascoe hasn't gotten all the work. Offensive lineman Herb Taylor took a snap or two at tight end and was told to run a 10-yard out. He ran a 20-yard seam pattern and remarkably had the ball thrown in his direction, but never came close to getting his hands on it.
Pascoe laughed about the play, noting Taylor does a much better job blocking than him.
Sorgi said the craziest thing is that Pascoe has not asked the coaching staff for a break. He just says he is ready to go, which is great for team morale.
``He is the kind of guy who will be out there every day, the kind of guy who will fight his butt off for you no matter the situation,'' Sorgi said. ``You need those guys. You want a guy like that on your team because you know if you need a play at the end, you can count on that guy to do the right thing.''
A Fresno State product, Pascoe spent most of last season on the Giants' practice squad. He got a chance to play four games late last season, catching one pass and getting a start when the team opened a game in a two tight end formation.
``If I can keep working and improving like I am and show Coach Coughlin my good work ethic, most definitely I think I can earn a spot on this roster,'' he said. ``I am planning on it.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adrian Gonzalez reached base all five times he came to the plate, finishing with four hits, two runs scored and two RBI, as San Diego jumped out to a big early lead, en route to an 8-5 victory over Pi
<< Burrell's homer lifts Giants over Cubs
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Burrell hit the tie-breaking solo
homer off Jason Berg leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting San
Francisco to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Burrell, who had the game-winning R
<< Report: Mets' Rodriguez in custody after punching family member
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was
reportedly taken in custody by police at Citi Field following Wednesday
night's 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Multiple reports say Rodriguez was acc
<< Yankees rally past Rangers
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcus Thames capped a two-run ninth with an
RBI single, as the New York Yankees rallied past the Texas Rangers, 7-6, to
split a brief two-game series at Rangers Ballpark.
Thames went 3-for-5 with a so
<< Back-to-back times two! Arizona's four straight HRs down Brewers
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona tied a major league record by
homering in four straight at-bats off Milwaukee's Dave Bush in the fourth
inning, on the way to a 8-2 victory at Miller Park.
Adam LaRoche, Miguel Montero,
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -The Detroit Lions don't have many good memories of the Matt Millen era.They are hoping that Cliff Avril turns out to be one.Avril, a third-round pick in 2008, has 10 1/2 sacks in his two seasons, but has struggled against the
Fog delays start of PGA Championship >>
Kohler, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The start of the first round of the 92nd PGA
Championship at Whistling Straits has been delayed due to fog.
The forecast called for early fog that was to burn off after 9:00 a.m. local
time and give way to
5 arrested in All-Star protest at baseball meeting >>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Police arrested five protesters outside the quarterly meeting of Major League baseball team owners in Minneapolis.They were among 100 people who gathered outside a downtown hotel Wednesday, trying to deliver petitions to commission
180-year sentence in death of NBA player's brother >>
CHICAGO (AP) -A judge in Chicago has handed down a 180-year prison sentence for a man convicted of killing the brother of NBA player Quentin Richardson.Thirty-one-year-old Lee Richardson Jr. was shot to death during a robbery in December 2005.Author
Marlins try for fourth straight win, sweep of Nationals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The chances of the Marlins matching their longest winning
streak of the season and completing a three-game sweep of Washington tonight
just got stronger with Ricky Nolasco set to take the mound.
Nolasco has won five straig
Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your VISA Sportsbook needs.