Dear PFWA membership:

We had a good turnout for our annual PFWA meeting at the owners’ meetings. I thought our numbers might be down this year, especially since the meeting was in Dana Point, Calif.

The meeting was short and sweet. We really want to encourage you to please, please, please send in your membership dues. It is very important for us to keep up our numbers. You do count, and we will work hard for you. Membership is o­nly $50, and it gets you the Marriott VIP card. You can pay o­nline at www.pfwa.org. ...

Dear PFWA membership:

We had a good turnout for our annual PFWA meeting at the owners’ meetings. I thought our numbers might be down this year, especially since the meeting was in Dana Point, Calif.

The meeting was short and sweet. We really want to encourage you to please, please, please send in your membership dues. It is very important for us to keep up our numbers. You do count, and we will work hard for you. Membership is o­nly $50, and it gets you the Marriott VIP card. You can pay o­nline at www.pfwa.org.

I have dealt with a few individual situations the past few weeks. I am very encouraged by the response of the league office and of team PR representatives who I have called and/or emailed. I also met with several of the new coaches at the meetings. I am hopeful, let’s put it that way. As an example -- as you probably know from Matt Maiocco’s blog -- Mike Singletary had cut off access to his assistants. At the meetings, Mike promised that his assistants will be available to the media in the “near future.” Jim Corbett reminded Mike at the coaches’ breakfast that when Singletary was an assistant, he received good exposure.

Singletary said, “I want our guys to do that. To me, we're behind and we have a lot of work to do, and the last thing I wanted to happen was for Jimmy Raye to be sitting down talking this is what our offense will be. I didn't want that. I wanted Jimmy Raye to get to know the players and our coaching staff, which was pretty much in place with the exception of Mike Johnson. Lord knows, I'm not going to keep those guys from the media too long. The media will get their share. I promise you. I just wanted it to be let's go to work here. Let's get this going. Let's make sure we know exactly what we want to do and we know exactly the kind of athletes we have quarterbacks and receivers. That's really the o­nly reason.”

CLARIFICATION FROM THE COMMISSIONER
I received this from Greg a few days ago. The Commissioner wanted to clear his position o­n three issues, so here it is from Greg:

1. He did not say he expects to get a deal before the 2010 uncapped season. He does not know when we will get a deal (no o­ne does) and expressed no preference o­n a precise timetable for getting a deal done as it relates to the uncapped year.

2. He did not say he is hoping to present a proposal for a vote at the May league meeting o­n a restructured season. He said it's possible there could be a vote at the May meeting. He did not rule it out. It depends o­n how the analysis progresses.

3. He did not say he is opposed to expanded playoffs. He said a restructured season and expanded playoffs are separate issues that we would consider and that some clubs favor expanded playoffs and some don't. But Roger did not take a position o­n it.

The full transcripts of his two press conferences in Dana Point are posted o­n nflmedia.com. Let Greg know if you have any questions.

DRAFT INFO
Mike Signora sent some draft info for those going to New York o­n April 25-26. He says between eight and 10 prospects will attend the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York. That’s the most since 1996. Things have changed somewhat from the past couple of years when we had the draft luncheon o­n Thursday. This year, players will arrive in New York o­n Thursday evening and spend Friday at a series of events, including a Youth Football Clinic in Central Park and a visit to Mt. Sinai Children’s Hospital. There will be no draft luncheon. Instead, players will be available to the media after the youth football clinic at Rumsey Field in Central Park o­n April 24 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

MEDIA GUIDES
Just a head’s up, especially you, Vito. There is a trend across all major sports to shift from a printed media guide to a digital product. Several major colleges are cutting printed media guides this year, not o­nly to cut costs but to go green. I hear the NBA has mandated that all teams be digital by 2010. MLB reported in February that it was cutting the printed copies of the red and green books, saving the league $100,000.

I have had conversations with the NFL and with o­ne team PR director. NFL teams likely will produce fewer copies of guides this year, and o­ne or two teams will experiment with not printing o­ne at all.

The league will send a memory stick to national writers with guides from all 32 teams included in PDF bookmarked form. Clubs also will get a small number of these sticks from the league to distribute.

ANNUAL AWARDS
Congratulations to all our nominees and best of luck. Please vote now as we hope to announce winners o­n the day of the draft.

The award representatives below are taking votes ASAP via email:
Horrigan: Bob Glauber (bobglauber18@gmail.com)
Good Guy: Jeff Legwold (legwold@hotmail.com)
Rozelle: John McClain (john.mcclain@chron.com)
Halas: Mark Gaughan (gggaughan@hotmail.com)
McCann: Tim Graham (timgraham4@gmail.com)

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MCCANN
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Ron Borges, Boston Herald: Borges joined the Boston Herald in 2008 as a columnist after 24 years at the Boston Globe, where he was an award-winning NFL and boxing writer. He has represented New England o­n the Pro Football Hall of Fame's board of selectors.

Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange: A fixture at the NFL draft since the 1960s, Cooney founded The Sports Xchange in 1987 and runs NFLDraftScout.com. He has been an NFL writer since 1970, covering the Raiders from 1975-809 and the 49ers from 1981-94, and represents Oakland o­n the Pro Football Hall of Fame's board of selectors.

Clare Farnsworth: He covered the Seahawks for 30 seasons, first for the Fournier Newspapers and then the Bellevue Journal-American before joining the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1987. Farnsworth represents Seattle o­n the Pro Football Hall of Fame's board of selectors.

Peter Finney, New Orleans Times-Picayune: The long-time columnist is in his 63rd year covering sports in New Orleans. After missing Super Bowls I and II because his editor thought the game was "a fad," Finney covered 40 straight Super Bowls. He represents New Orleans o­n the Pro Football Hall of Fame's board of selectors.

Peter King, Sports Illustrated: King has been covering the NFL for nearly 30 years, including 20 at Sports Illustrated. King previously wrote for Newsday and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He has authored five books. He's an at-large member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's board of selectors.

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ROZELLE
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Arizona Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Houston Texans
Pittsburgh Steelers

Note: A record 25 teams received votes.

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GOOD GUY
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Brian Dawkins: He was always cooperative with the Philadelphia media.

Deuce McAlister: Has won the Saints chapter PFWA Good Guy Award. He is cited as being "extremely fan-friendly and community-minded to start with (he gives freely of his time and money to underprivileged youngsters in the New Orleans and Jackson, Miss., areas through his Catch 22 Foundation), McAllister has always been respectful of reporters and never turns down an interview request. He gives out his cell number and usually returns our calls (even during the off-season). His answers are usually thought provoking -- and useful.” Also available every day. He was the o­nly player involved in the StarCaps saga to come out and admit (just two days after the report surfaced) that he took the pills to help lose weight.

LaDainian Tomlinson: Cited for "being a beacon of honesty in an otherwise deceitful business.” Included was the fact that "while the Chargers maintained that L.T. had a strained groin, L.T. himself came out a few days later and confirmed earlier reports that he actually had a detached tendon in his groin.”

Kurt Warner: Cited for "always being ready to offer something thoughtful and useful regardless of circumstances.” Also cited for how he approached the media gatherings at the Super Bowl.

Jason Witten: Because of his cooperation in the circus around Romo and T.O.

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HORRIGAN
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Roger Goodell, commissioner. Goodell has continually pushed for increased access, and his message is being heard throughout the league. There is still a long way to go, but Goodell has made it clear he will continue to press players and coaches to cooperate more fully with the media.

Jerry Jones, Cowboys owner. He’s colorful, he’s charismatic, he’s controversial. He’s also accessible and quick with a quote. A lot of quotes. For 20 years, Jones has been a friend to the media with his openness and his opinions.

Dick LeBeau, Steelers defensive coordinator. The long-time defensive coordinator is as comfortable talking x’s and o’s with a handful of beat reporters as he is with a swarm of media around him at the Super Bowl. He has been o­ne of the most patient, helpful and cooperative coaches any of us have come across.

Dan Rooney, Steelers owner. For decades, Rooney has made our jobs easier by not o­nly being accessible, but by being open and forthright about any and all issues affecting the Steelers and the NFL at large. He has been a heavy hitter in league circles throughout his tenure as the Steelers’ president, and he has long been o­ne of the most helpful and interesting figures any reporter would want to cover.

Mike Smith, Falcons coach. Smith took over a team in disarray and not o­nly put it back together o­n the field, but did so while giving reporters – local and national – whatever they needed. Smith shows that you can win AND be helpful to the media. He is certainly off to a great start in his head coaching career in every way.

Please note: Former Colts coach Tony Dungy received - deservingly so - several nominations. However, we have chosen not to have repeat Horrigan winners in the past, choosing instead to "spread the wealth." Dungy has won the award, so his name does not appear o­n this year's nomination list.

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HALAS
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I got loads of responses. It was a very close call for the final five.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona. He suffered a concussion and a sinus fracture and had wires inserted into his jaw after a vicious hit in Week 4. However, he missed o­nly two games due to the injury and came back to make the Pro Bowl. Boldin finished with 89 catches for 1,038 yards with 11 touchdowns.

Matt Bryant, K, Tampa Bay. His 3-month-old son died in his sleep in Week 3 of the season. Four days later (and o­ne day after the funeral), Bryant kicked three field goals, including the game winner in the final three minutes, to give the Bucs a victory at home over Green Bay. Bryant showed composure and class in speaking about it in the interview room after the game, and throughout the season. He finished the year 32 of 38 o­n field goals.

Ryan Clark, S, Pittsburgh. His 2007 season ended at midseason when his sickle cell trait in the high altitude of Denver caused a blood reaction and immediate hospitalization. He had his spleen and gall bladder removed and he lost 30 pounds. He spent the rest of the season o­n IR. He returned to start at free safety for Pittsburgh and had the best season of his career o­n the league’s No. 1 defense.

Chad Pennington, QB, Miami. Came back from being benched at the end of the 2007 season in New York and then being cut by the Jets in August to win the starting job in Miami and helping the Dolphins to the playoffs. He was called “Coach Pennington” by Miami players, who he met with in separate groups each week (offensive line, receivers, running backs).

Aaron Smith, DE, Pittsburgh. His son, Elijah, was diagnosed in October with leukemia. Elijah is 5 and faces a long battle of perhaps 3-4 years against the disease. It was a rough ordeal for Smith, who had to watch his son endure painful spinal taps and bone marrow tests, as well as blood transfusions and steroid treatments. Smith continued to play a key role as starting DE for the Steelers.

That’s it. Now, send in your votes.

HELPING DR. Z
Sal Paolantonio sent along a note regarding a May 18 dinner Peter King has organized to help Paul Zimmerman. Sal put together a table that will be filled with college sports journalists, who will ask a question during a football roundtable discussion and mention who sponsored them. The PFWA is buying two seats. Others contributing at this table are Sal, Ron Jaworski, Brian Baldinger and Lesley Visser.

Here is what Peter wrote about the event:

Tom Coughlin and Rex Ryan are going to team up to help Paul Zimmerman o­n May 18.In a dual act of selflessness that humbles me, the Giants and Jets head coaches will come together in a fundraiser to help the ailing Dr. Z try to kick-start his long road to recovery from a series of three strokes. Coughlin and Ryan will appear at a dinner and silent auction o­n that Monday night in West Orange, N.J., with the proceeds from the $225-a-plate evening to benefit some aggressive therapy and home-outfitting costs for Zimmerman, who is trying to come back from strokes that have left him unable to speak, read and write.

The highlight of the evening (or lowlight, depending o­n your opinion of the moderator) will be a 40-minute football roundtable discussion with Ryan and Coughlin, hosted by me. You'll have the chance to fire away at the two coaches, too.

What this all comes down to is this: Zim doesn't want to sit quietly in the corner, smiling and not understanding much of what is happening to him, while he lives out the rest of his life. He wants to be the smartest pro football writer o­n earth again. For that to happen, he needs intense intervention. Now. And so many of you have written to ask, "What can we do to help?” This is what you can do: You can come to this dinner, and have a great football night out, and know you're helping Dr. Z be Dr. Z again.

"Paul doesn't want to settle for just a partial recovery,” his wife, Linda, said. "He wants to be back working, and to do that, he needs intensive therapy.” Therapy like the intensive and innovative (and expensive) six-week University of Michigan Aphasia Program, where he'll get 23 hours of challenging speech therapy a week ... and which isn't covered by insurance.

One of the reasons we want to do something to try to help is because Zim's trying so hard to help himself. In the morning, Linda picks up the newspapers, and he'll stare at the pages he's become so familiar with over the years, sometimes for hours. "He's seeing something, and he's fighting so hard to be able to read again,” she says. "He'll look at the agate type of the sports section for hours, trying to comprehend. It's amazing to watch. It just drives me to try to help him as much as we can.”

I'm so impressed that it took about six minutes to arrange this. Ryan has a calendar already stuffed with all the things a rookie head coach must do, and Coughlin's football and charity dockets (he is o­ne of the most charity-conscious coaches I've ever met) are chock-full.

I'll have more details, particularly o­n the auction items, o­n Mondays to come. But we've got some good o­nes for you. Some unique opportunities. You'll love them.

This is about as bad a time for a fundraiser as we could have, but in the immortal words of Coughlin, Ryan and every coach alive, the economy is what it is. Tickets (again, $225 apiece, or $1,500 for a table of eight, and come o­n you businesses, I know you've got it in you) can be had by sending a check, payable to "Dr. Z/Nothing is Impossible Foundation” to:

Dr. Z/Nothing is Impossible Foundation
21 Pine St.
Suite 202
Rockaway, N.J. 07866

For further information, please email Barbara Neibart at bneibart@yahoo.com, or contact me at apking97@aol,com. Also, if you're interested in volunteering o­n the night of the event, please indicate that, and we'll be in touch with you as we get closer to May 18.

I know many of you who have loved reading Zim over the years will not be able to attend because you live far away from New Jersey, and maybe in a different continent. You'll have the chance to bid o­n some of the auction items through this column, as I'll explain as we get closer to the event.

Our goal is to have Zim haranguing coaches and commissioners and broadcasters and quarterbacks as soon as possible. Thanks for helping, if you can, and thanks for thinking of Zim.

REDSKINS’ GOOD GUY AWARD
David Elfin reports that Redskins guard Pete Kendall was the overwhelming winner of the B.J. Blanchard Good Guy Award given each year by the team’s media. Kendall was the Jets' Good Guy winner in 2006. Winning the hearts and minds of the hard-bitten Washington and New York media corps is no easy task, but the intelligent, ever-candid and always-cooperative Kendall does it so well, even after his gaffe cost the Redskins a victory over the Rams last season. Unfortunately, Kendall might not be back at age 36, following recent Blanchard winners (Champ Bailey, 2003; Fred Smoot, 2004; and Renaldo Wynn, 2005) out the door of Redskin Park.

WORTHY OF PRAISE
John Niyo of the Detroit News sent along a note of thanks to the Lions for a job well done at the NFL owners meetings in Dana Point: “Just wanted to point out the job the Lions' Bill Keenist did for the Detroit PFWA writers in attendance. He made Jim Schwartz available for a lunch interview session Monday; GM Martin Mayhew was available for lunch Tuesday. Then, in addition to the coaches' breakfast, he had president Tom Lewand available just prior to Roger Goodell's wrapup Wednesday. They were sitdowns, too, not rushed hallway interviews. I know Schwartz made time for a lot of others in Dana Point as well.”

The Bills have gotten much love here lately. Thanks to Scott Berchtold and Chris Jenkins for handling of the Terrell Owens’ signing. Also, Dave Richard of CBSSports.com pointed out the Bills’ offer to send a text alert every time there is news about their team. You can contact the Bills with further details or to get o­n the text alert list.

THIS AND THAT
Leslie Hammond, Vince Casey and Michael Lipman have left the league office PR department. Michael Signora will continue to oversee the football information group, which includes AFC information manager Corry Rush and NFC information manager Randall Liu. ... Neal Gulkis has left the Dolphins for the Browns. ... Ted Crews left the Falcons for the Rams to replace the now re-retired Rick Smith. (Rick, you’re Brett Favre.) ... Bob Lange has gone from the Eagles to the 49ers. ... Jason Jenkins has gone from the 49ers to the Dolphins, replacing Gulkis. ... Hunter Robinson has left the Jaguars after 10 years, “embarking o­n a new journey in my life.” His email is: hunterwrobinson@yahoo.com and his cell is 904-476-3504. ... Brett Strohsacker has replaced Bob Lange in Philadelphia. He had been the Eagles’ grad assistant the past two years. Ryan Nissan received a promotion in Philly.

It’s good to see New York Giants beat writer Ernie Palladino of The Westchester Journal News back at work. Ernie reports that he’s doing pretty good after cancer and chemotherapy. ... The Redskins have moved their press room from the space the media has occupied since the building opened in 1992. We are working with Redskins’ PR man Zack Bolno. ... John Bankert, who spent his entire professional career at the Pro Football Hall of Fame including serving as the museum’s executive director, died last month after a lengthy illness. He was 68. ... Brian Allee-Walsh is “back in the saddle,” covering the Saints for the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Teddy Kider left the T-P to enroll in law school, bringing Brian back to the beat April 1. Brian says, “I want the good people in the PFWA to know I'm still kicking. I've covered the NFL the past 22 seasons, the Saints exclusively for 18 of them. I'll be working alongside Mike Triplett and Jeff Duncan, the T-P's version of that great double-play combination, Tinker to Evers to Chance.” Welcome back, Brian.

Rick Herrin, the third Cowboys’ beat writer at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, has taken the buyout at the paper. He is looking for freelance work if any of your teams play in Dallas this season. His email is: herrinrick@earthlink.net. ... John Crist of Bear Report got married March 28 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. They honeymooned in Aruba immediately afterward. Congrats to John and his new bride, Andrea. ... I just talked to Dave Goldberg. As you know, the veteran AP football writer had triple bypass surgery March 4. He said he feels good, though his stamina is not what it used to be, and reports that his doctors tell him he is ahead of schedule. He hopes to return to work before the draft but likely will not attend the draft. His cell is 917-371-9701. ... Congrats to Jennifer Floyd Engel, a former Cowboys beat writer, and her husband, Mac Engel, the current Cowboys beat writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, o­n the birth of their first child. Vivian McRae Engel was born at 10:20 p.m. o­n April 1. She weighed 6 lbs., 12 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches.

PFWA RELIEF FUND UPDATE
Just a reminder that we are accepting donations to our emergency relief fund. Please make checks payable to the PFWA and send them to Mike Sando at 16908 13th Ave. CT E, Spanaway, WA 98387. His email is mikejsando@gmail.com. As you probably know, Brian Allee-Walsh of the New Orleans Times-Picayune was instrumental in starting this fund for us last fall. It is designed to help members affected by natural disasters.

Regards,

Charean Williams
PFWA President