November 9, 2004 in Sports

NFL’s TV deals extended

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The NFL agreed Monday to $8 billion in contract extensions with Fox and CBS to televise Sunday afternoon games for six more years, deals that would also allow the league to show better matchups late in the season in prime time.

The current contract, which expires after the 2005 season, was worth $17.2 billion, including the Sunday night (on ESPN) and Monday night (on ABC) packages. The extensions will run through 2011. The league still is in negotiations for the prime-time packages.

The deals give the NFL the option to move seven late-season games from Sunday to Monday night to feature more attractive matchups, according to an official within the league who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The NFL also can develop late-season prime-time satellite or cable packages of eight games, which would be televised on Thursdays and Saturdays. Or the league could take those eight games and show them regionally in prime-time telecasts on Sundays and Mondays.

DirecTV also extended its deal with the league through 2010 for the Sunday Ticket package. The satellite distributor will pay $3.5 billion for the five-year extension.

Fox will pay $4.3 billion, or $712.5 million per year for the NFC games, the source said, while CBS will pay $3.7 billion, or $622.5 million a year.

Wannstadt plans to resign

Dave Wannstedt may have coached his last game for the Miami Dolphins.

With his team at 1-8, Wannstedt was expected to resign today, according to reports late Monday on the the Miami Herald’s Web site and two South Florida television stations. A third TV station, WTVJ, said Wannstedt already resigned.

Wannstedt met Monday night at the team’s complex with owner Wayne Huizenga, who confirmed an announcement will be made today.

“Dave called me and we got together, but I’m not going to comment at this point,” Huizenga told the Associated Press.

It’s unclear whether Wannstedt was forced to resign.

Strahan out for season

All-Pro defensive end Michael Strahan will miss the rest of the Giants’ season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Strahan, the NFL’s all-time single-season sacks leader, was hurt Sunday in the third quarter of a 28-21 loss to the Chicago Bears. The 12-year veteran reached out with his arm to attempt a tackle on Anthony Thomas and his arm was bent back as the running back cut inside.

The news was doubly bad for the Giants because fellow starting defensive end Keith Washington tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg against the Bears. He also will miss the rest of the season.

Pennington out 2-4 weeks

When Chad Pennington got hurt last year, the New York Jets had a hard time winning games.

They hope things go differently this time around. Pennington is out two to four weeks with a strained right rotator cuff, leaving former Cowboys starter Quincy Carter to handle the offense.

Pennington was hurt in the first quarter of a 22-17 loss to Buffalo Sunday when he scrambled up the middle for a 12-yard gain. He kept playing, but his arm started to stiffen and he left the game in the fourth quarter.

An MRI exam revealed the strain. Pennington started rehabbing immediately to regain the strength in his arm.

Around the league

Seattle cornerback Ken Lucas bruised a lung in the Seahawks’ victory over San Francisco, and his playing status for this week is uncertain. … After being re-evaluated Monday, Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich probably will miss two games with a sprained left knee. … Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson apologized for throwing a beverage cup on the sideline and angrily pulling off his chin strap after an incompletion during Cincinnati’s win over Dallas. … Denver coach Mike Shanahan said he has not been contacted about the job opening at the University of Florida and has no intention of leaving the Broncos. … Tampa Bay center John Wade dislocated his left knee Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season.

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