Florida Sentinel Bulletin

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Even after an 0-4 start in which Donovan McNabb has struggled to move the Minnesota Vikings offense, coach Leslie Frazier says it still isn’t time to turn things over to rookie Christian Ponder.

Frazier says the team is looking at making several changes, both to personnel and schemes, to try and get the Vikings their first win of the season. But he also says that switching quarterbacks is not currently under consideration.

The Vikings have the 31st ranked passing offense in the NFL. And McNabb is ranked 30th in yards passing and 22nd in completion percentage.

Former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders’ charter school application was among eight approved by the Texas State Board of Education.

The decision came after a brief discussion during which members raised questions about the schools’ academic rigor and Sanders’ involvement

PHILADELPHIA – The frown on Michael Vick’s face emphasized how bitter the Philadelphia Eagles’ latest loss was.

Vick had one of the best days of his career with a personal high of 416 yards passing and 30 completions, added 75 yards rushing and two touchdown passes. It was all for naught as the Eagles lost their third straight, blowing a 20-point lead and falling to San Francisco 24-23 on Sunday.

“We’ve got to dig deep,’’ Vick said. “It’s right there for everybody to see what is taking place, how it’s been done, what hasn’t been done and what needs to be done.’’

Vick did about all he could, only to see the Eagles fall apart on defense in the second half. He was at his scrambling best and his one interception was tipped by DeSean Jackson directly to cornerback Carlos Rogers. His bruised right hand, protected by a padded pink glove, didn’t slow him a bit.

NEW YORK — They don’t have a deal yet, and they are just about out of time.

After some two years of on-and-off negotiations, that’s about all NBA players and owners agree on. The gaps in their financial proposals have been so great that they sometimes decide it’s best to just talk about something else.

Now they have to figure it out quickly. Without at least getting very close to the framework of a new collective bargaining agreement this weekend, hopes of the 2011-12 season starting on time would be all but lost.

“We realize that the calendar, the clock, the watch, whatever you want to say, is running out in terms of starting our regular season on time. So we’re going to try to get some things done this weekend and see what we can do,” said the Lakers’ Derek Fisher, president of the players’ association.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI — Authorities in suburban Detroit say Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace has been charged with drunken driving and unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon after a traffic stop.

Bloomfield Township police said Thursday that the 37-year-old Wallace was arrested about 3 a.m. Saturday after officers observed a Cadillac Escalade being driven erratically. Police said they found an unloaded pistol in a backpack.

Officers say Wallace was given a blood-alcohol test and he was above Michigan’s legal limit of 0.08 percent. Police declined to provide further details.

Wallace, who helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title, was arraigned and released on a $5,000 personal bond. His next court hearing is Monday.

In case the All-Star front court players appearing on episodes of Law & Order: SVU hasn’t clued you in, the NBA is still in a lockout. According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, commissioner David Stern is aiming to strike a deal with the players’ union this weekend.

But just in case that doesn’t work out, there is one player who seems to be very motivated to find honest work outside of basketball… Delonte West.

The free agent guard tweeted Wednesday evening that he has applied for a job at Regency Furniture.

“Applied at Regency Furniture, need a 2nd job to stay afloat during the lockout,” he wrote, including a picture of his application.

A new book about Walter Payton, the Chicago Bears’ legendary Hall of Famer, reveals a controversial, private side of the running back and has drawn criticism from his family.

In Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, Jeff Pearlman chronicles Payton’s life from his childhood in Mississippi and battle with a rare liver disease and death from bile duct cancer in 1999.

Excerpts in Sports Illustrated relate tales of Payton’s extramarital affairs, including a scene in Canton, Ohio, when Payton took both his wife and girlfriend to his Hall of Fame induction. Payton, Pearlman writes in detail, battled depression and was addicted to painkillers during his playing career and afterward.

In the continuing attempt to make this country as soft as possible, there’s now the “Madre Hill” rule. A rule that prohibits young players from scoring too many touchdowns.

Meet 11-year-old running back, Demias Jimerson, who plays in Arkansas’ Wilson Intermediate League. Jimerson is so good that the league implemented a little known rule named after Arkansas Razorbacks great, Madre Hill. If a player has already scored three touchdowns and his team has a 14-point lead, then he’s banned from the endzone.

I’m somewhat confused here. If Jimerson gets close to the goal line, is he supposed to fall down and do snow angels or is there some kind of invisible fence that shocks him and prevents him from scoring? Inquiring minds want to know.

The days of Howard Cosell, “Dandy” Don Meredith, and Frank Gifford are gone, but Monday Night Football is still the best way to start the week.

This Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Indianapolis Colts, who enter the game without their star, Peyton Manning, under center.

The Bucs are coming off a 16-13 win over their NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons, and it appears the defense has finally jelled and is playing strong, especially against the run.

Raymond James Stadium will be bursting at the seams with excitement for this game as the Bucs try to improve to 3-1.

The Bucs will be without the services of Cody Grimm who appears to be lost for the season with a knee injury. Linebacker Geno Hayes, who suffered a concussion against the Falcons, is still being evaluated.

The Colts are 0-3 and will be looking for their first victory.

The Buccaneers will hold their Friday practice at night at the University of South Florida.

Ronde Barber Honored
Playing 15 years as a professional football cornerback isn’t an easy task, and longevity isn’t a virtue, but for a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, it seems time hasn’t slowed him down at all.

Jamael Oronde “Ronde” Barber  has been honored by the National Football league for the 9th time as the NFL Defensive Player Of The Week.

To earn the honor, the 36-year-old Barber recorded 4 tackles, one for a loss, a fumble recovery, an interception, and defended five passes in the Bucs 16-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week.

Barber also made his 186th consecutive start, the longest active consecutive streak in the NFL.