(UPDATE: There are still a few kinks to work out with the new blog system, like RSS feeds and the comments section (of which there is none right now. We've been assured these things are being worked on, and hopefully they'll be resolved shortly).

NFL sources told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio and Chris Mortensen that Goodell will announce a conditional reinstatement of Vick, which would allow the 29-year old to attend training camp if signed. However, Goodell is also contemplating a four-game suspension.

Said the league source: "Can we suspend him in basically double jeopardy? That's the question."

Vick's indefinite suspension lasted the duration of his 23-month sentence. No teams have publicly stated their desire to sign Vick, and a further suspension obviously won't help lure suitors.

Said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello: "This is a serious matter. We are engaging in a careful and thoughtful process and no decisions have been made."

Vick and Goodell met in New Jersey on Wednesday and, according to SI.com, the sitdown lasted three hours.

I'm no legal expert, so I'll pose the question to the readers and hopefully someone can answer me: Does Vick have any legal recourse against the NFL should he be suspended further?

Like Mr. G, I feel like Vick deserves a chance to play. The guy already lost two years in his prime, and I feel his punishment, while just, should come to an end.

-Chris Mascaro

Here is the video, which also includes ESPN legal reporter Lester Munson's take on the case.

-Chris Mascaro

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who signed a five-year deal with Seattle in early March, isn't very happy with his video game likeness.

The 31-year old was on with ESPN's Colin Cowherd Monday, and said that he is boycotting "Madden NFL 10" because of what he considered a low player rating for himself. Housh is ranked 91, the sixth-best receiver in the NFC behind Larry Fitzgerald (99), Steve Smith (97), Anquan Boldin (94), Roddy White (93) and Calvin Johnson (92).

Housh, who caught 92 passes for 902 yards and four TDs with the Bengals last season, apparently has low marks in the strength and elusiveness categories. His numbers last year were down from '07, when he caught 112 passes for 1,143 yards and 12 TDs (all career highs).

More importantly, his yards per reception fell from 12.0 in '06 to 10.2 in '07 and finally 9.8 last season. But Housh blamed that on the offense he was in last year, which ranked 30th in passing yards per game.

Said Housh to Cowherd: "I understand I averaged 10 yards a catch, but it's the offense, not me. I'm not playing Madden no more until they get my rating right. ... I used to be the best in the world at Madden. I'm going to miss not playing it, but until they do me right, I'm not playing it any more."

It's pretty funny to me how sour he is over this.

In all, five players received a 99 ranking (none received a 100) — Fitzgerald, Peyton Manning, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed, Albert Haynesworth. The highest Giant is Chris Snee at 97; the download on ESPN.com had yet to compile the AFC East, so I'm not sure about the highest Jet.

-Chris Mascaro

(AP Photo)

Losman, a 28-year old unrestricted free agent, became expendable in Buffalo with the emergence of Trent Edwards. He had talks with Denver and Carolina this offseason about being a back-up, but the Broncos instead signed Chris Simms, while the Panthers opted to stay with Josh McCown.

Said Losman: "I'm trying to get back on the field as soon as possible. I love the game. I want to play this game. I don't want to be [in the NFL] waiting for somebody to get hurt or not play well. We're trying to have as much success as possible here, try to create some buzz ... and then go through [NFL free agency] again next year."

The Las Vegas team, which will be led by former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, begins its six-game season Oct. 8 and concludes with a championship game Thanksgiving weekend. At that point, Losman is free to sign with an NFL team.

"I'm looking at my career over the long haul," Losman said. "OK, this is where I'm at in five years. But I look at it like, 'Where do I want to be after a 10-year, 11-year career?' There are some things I feel I want to work on that I need to work on, and this league gives me an opportunity to do that and to work with somebody who's had a lot of success in the NFL."

Fassel has worked to great success with quarterbacks such as John Elway, Boomer Esiason and Kerry Collins — which is good because Losman threw 34 interceptions, was sacked 103 times, and led the Bills to just a 10-23 record in games he started.

The ESPN article noted that quarterbacks such as Steve Young (USFL), Tommy Maddox (XFL) and Kurt Warner (Arena League) took alternate routes to the NFL. But all those guys were upwardly mobile — none of them had to spend time back in the minors after reaching the NFL.

Losman's signing begs the question, 'who's next for the UFL?' Michael Vick? Unrestricted free agents such as Charlie Batch, Kyle Boller, Joey Harrington or Jeff Garcia? Only time will tell...

Click below for Fassel's take on Losman.

-Chris Mascaro

"I didn't give the show much thought at first," Holley said in an interview with Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News. "But it was a chance and the more I thought about it..."

Holley, a native of Roselle, New Jersey, who was also a member of the Tar Heels' 2005 national championship basketball team, was honorable mention All ACC his junior season after leading the team with 47 receptions and 670 yards.

Holley, 25, is 6-3, 215 pounds and runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. For his efforts on Irvin's show, he was awarded the 80th and final roster spot at Cowboys training camp, which begins one week from today in San Antonio.

Said Irvin about Holley: "He'd pick up things immediately. If I am a coach and I see him implement something right away, I know I have a player."

Holley will be the 11th receiver at camp, so his chances of actually making the team are slim at best.

"This is truly, truly a blessing," said Holley, who was working for a security monitoring company and selling cellphones. "I have been given a wonderful opportunity to resurrect part of my life I thought was over. I am really going to take advantage of it."

-Chris Mascaro

There is a sizeable group of people who believe he should never be allowed to profit from the sport that once made him a multi-millionaire, not after the heinous acts he committed in connection with the dogfighting operation. And there are those who believe he has paid his debt to society and therefore deserves another chance to play.

I'm in the latter group.

First of all, let me say this: There is no excusing what Vick did, including his admission that he killed some underperforming dogs by hanging or drowning them. It was cold-blooded, vicious and simply disgusting.

But we have a system in this country that punishes people for wrongdoing, and Vick paid the ultimate price in that system. He spent nearly two years in federal custody, and has been forced into bankruptcy with the loss of his salary and endorsements. Millions upon millions in both.

So I ask: At this point, how much more do you want to punish Vick? He has served his time, and he has lost nearly all the riches he accrued during his career with the Falcons.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will surely be tempted to continue the indefinite suspension he slapped on Vick nearly two years ago. But Goodell must also realize that Vick has paid a steep price for his misdeeds, and that closing the door permanently on his football career is a case of piling on.

Vick's agreement to serve as an advocate for the Humane Society shows a willingness to turn his behavior into a life lesson for others. Goodell should heed the words of the organization's chief executive, Wayne Pacelle, who said the following in an ESPN interview in May, when Vick agreed to work with the group.

"We were very involved in criticizing Vick for conduct which we found reprehensible, and we strongly supported law enforcement and judicial action that led to his incarceration," Pacelle said. "I don't think anyone was tougher on him than we were. But the goal was never the continued punitive treatment of Michael Vick. The goal has always been to eradicate dogfighting in America and around the world."

Enough said.

Time for Vick to get on with his life and his career. And contribute to the cause of preventing cruelty to animals by speaking out against the crimes he once committed.

McNulty claims Roethlisberger asked her to come up to his room to fix his television, and the 6-5, 241-pound quarterback forced her onto his bed and had sex with her. The incident allegedly occurred in July 2008, and it is unknown whether McNulty ever attempted to file criminal charges.

This post by Mike Florio of PFT goes into the details of McNulty's complaint based on a copy of the filed report he obtained. Among the things McNulty told authorities were: that she didn't try to fight Roethlisberger when he made his advances because of his size and strength, that she repeatedly "communicated her objection and lack of consent," and that she made it clear to Roethlisberger that she was not on any type of birth control.

Said Roethlisberger's attorney David Cornwell in a statement earlier today: "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone ... The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated."

Said Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett: "We are aware of the allegations but cannot comment on the specifics of the case. We've been told Ben's side of the story and we fully support him at this time."

Some news sources — namely ESPN — are skeptical of the report (its existence has yet to be confirmed by Washoe County (Nev.) police), and have chosen not to report on it at this time.

-Chris Mascaro

Police say McNair was likely asleep when he was shot twice in head and twice in the chest in his Nashville condo, but Li said there was no way to determine how long before the shooting McNair was drinking.

The shooter, Sahel Kazemi, was arrested for drunken driving two days prior to the shooting (she told police she was high). The medical examiner found a trace amount of marijuana in her system.

-Chris Mascaro

During an interview with Los Angeles radio station KLAC, former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor said he doesn't follow the NFL much these days. In fact, he doesn't follow it at all. And he'd just as soon watch porn as his former team. This according to a transcript on SportsRadioInterviews.com. (Please note, there is a naughty word on the link.)

LT on if and how he plans to get involved or just give back to the game of football in the future:

“I don’t really mess with football anymore," he told the station. "That’s an era of my life that has passed. A lot of the guys will sit there and live football. Every Sunday they’re glued to the t.v. watching football. I don’t watch football. I’d rather watch two people (bleep). Now look, I don’t really watch football. I am very appreciative of all the fan love and all the people that remember the things you have done. But that’s not what turns me on in the morning.”

Evidently not.

(Photo from ABC's "Dancing With the Stars")

Ok, we gave LTmLT his one non-Brett Favre item. Now that that's out of the way, let's update you on Favre, who, in case you've been under a rock the last 3 months, is contemplating another comeback to the NFL.

Vikings coach Brad Childress, who hopes to have the soon-to-be 40-year-old quarterback coming off surgery on his throwing arm as his quarterback this season, said he watched a clip of Favre throwing to high school and college players in Mississippi. And Childress liked what he saw.

"I didn't look at his wristwatch or the sunglasses or the hat or the receivers," Childress said yesterday at a charity event in Minnesota. "I looked at what I look at as a coach. I liked his throwing motion, the little bit that I saw on tape. It looked fine to me."

Childress recently has received firsthand reports on Favre's progress from offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and head trainer Eric Sugarman, who met with Favre two weeks ago in Mississippi. "I think [Bevell] thought he was progressing," Childress said. "I think Suge felt the same way."

As for whether Bevell also began working on the Vikings offense with Favre, Childress said: "There will be a spot where that happens, providing that he ends up being with us. But I think it's just been more banter back and forth. 'What are you calling this? How are you doing this?' That kind of thing."

(PROGRAMMING NOTE: The long-awaited introduction of Newsday's new blog system will have to wait at least another day. That's when the name of this here blog will change from "What About Bob" to "NFL Hot Reads." ... exciting!!!)

(AP Photo)

He was competing over the weekend in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nev. He hit an errant tee shot on the par-3 17th hole and hit a woman right in the head.
Sally Capehart was plunked by Schaub, who had no idea he'd hit someone.

“Are you serious?” Schaub said as he arrived at the green. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea I hit somebody,” he told the woman.

Schaub autographed a golf ball for Capehart, who went to the hospital as a precaution.

“It’s my first golf tournament,” she said, adding that she’d probably come back to another “if I don’t get hit in the head.”

Fortunately for Schaub, the ball bounced off Capehart's noggin and onto the green.

“Thank you,” he told her as they shared a laugh after his repeated apologies. “I’m sorry we had to meet like this.”

(Note to LTmLT: This was not an item about Brett Favre, Chad Pennington, Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, Twitter, and did not include a homoerotic picture of Jeremy Shockey ... ok?)

It's a brave new world for Newsday's blogs, and the updated software is supposed to alleviate some of the glitches that occurred with the old model. Hopefully all will proceed smoothly.

In the meantime, we'll be changing the name from "What About Bob" (a ripoff of the movie that was actually pretty lame in our estimation) to "NFL Hot Reads."

We have a regular "NFL Hot Reads" page in the Newsday paper during the NFL season, so it seemed to make sense to use that moniker on the blog. And with Chris "Mad Dog" Mascaro spreading his wings on all things NFL, there is even less of a need to get "Bob" in the blog name.

He now says he'll let the Vikings know by the start of training camp whether he's coming back.

All signs point to a return, but Favre acknowledges some lingering doubt. Which is why I'm still leaving some wiggle room for the possibility that Favre says he will remain retired.

"There's two weeks left, and I'm doing everything I can," Favre told the Associated Press. "I was down here Sunday morning working out. I'm trying to get everything to where I feel 100 percent when I go in. I can't go in any less. When you're 39 years old, it's hard enough. But it's getting there."

"I felt like going to New York last year that I still had it," Favre said. "I didn't know my arm was hurt at the time. So that's what I try to get across to people. I had that fixed, the surgery to fix that. So I'm trying to make sure that if I go back that that part is completely resolved."

It sure looked like it Wednesday morning, according to the AP, when Favre connected on a variety of passes to high school and college wide receivers. He was crisp on short timing passes and hit receivers in the end zone from about 50 yards away. He attempted a few deep passes off bootlegs and usually hit his targets in stride.

Favre's spirals held true, and he proved he still has plenty of zip when he tossed a deep pass to a college receiver who dropped by to work out. The pass split the receiver's hands and hit him in the face.

"He's a senior from Southeastern Louisiana, so I put a little more on it," Favre said with a smile.

Favre said if the arm strength wasn't there, he wouldn't make a bid to return for his 19th NFL season.

"I don't think Minnesota would even consider it if I didn't have it," Favre said. "Second of all, I wouldn't even think about it if I didn't have it. Now, having it here and having in on the field on Sundays is two different things, I know that for a fact. I know what it takes to play on Sunday, and I still believe I have that."

Favre said his hesitation is more about what those watching him practice might not see. He used a golfing analogy to explain his situation. What if, he asked, Tiger Woods came back and found he didn't have the same game?

"He goes out and hits a 2 iron, and he thinks it will go the normal distance it has all his life, then all of a sudden, it's 13 yards short, and he says, 'I don't know why that is because everything felt perfect,' so that's what I have to get through," Favre said.

"If you're throwing and it's a little off and you have a little pain, it's a little bit understandable," he added. "If there's no pain and there's no excuse, that's where you've got a problem. So I want to go out and have one of those days throwing, and then have another where all of those throws you make, every warmup throw you make or just in general, feels perfect."

Terrell Suggs played under the franchise tag the past two seasons, but the contract he received Wednesday was worth the wait.

According to a source to ESPN's John Clayton, Suggs (pictured right) is now the richest linebacker in NFL history, signing a six-year deal worth $63 million.

Suggs, a six-year veteran who plays outside linebacker (and sometimes defensive end in Baltimore's 3-4 scheme), made 68 tackles last season with eight sacks, two INTs (both returned for touchdowns), nine pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

The deadline for players under the franchise tag to sign a long-term deal is 4 p.m. this afternoon. Suggs would have played this season for $10.17 million and then became a free agent.

Under this deal, the 2003 first-round pick out of Arizona State will be paid $40 million over the first two years. According to Clayton, the key component to the deal is the $33.1 million in signing bonus and option bonus money that Suggs will receive this year and next. The bonus is believed to be second highest in NFL history behind the $34 million given to Peyton Manning. For a defensive player, the highest was the also a Colt, Dwight Freeney, who was given $31.5 million.

The 6-3, 260-pound Suggs has 53 career sacks, 17 forced fumbles and is just 26 years old.

-Chris Mascaro

(AP Photo by Jeffrey M. Boan)