Browns' Stallworth Suspended for '09 Season

(NEWSER) - Donte’ Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter today, the Miami Herald reports, as part of a deal that will send him to prison for 30 days. After that, the Browns receiver will serve two years of house arrest and eight years' probation in the March 14 crash that killed a 59-year-old pedestrian. He’ll also perform 1,000 hours of community service, and make a payment to the victim’s family. More»

Stanford quarterback will head to Peyton Manning's old team

(NEWSER) - The Indianapolis Colts stuck to the plan tonight in the NFL draft and made Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck this year's No. 1 pick, reports the Indianapolis Star . ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that he will get a four-year deal for $22 million. That's relatively modest by NFL standards, but Bleacher Report says it's part of a trend in which "rookies are no longer getting huge contracts." More»

Hopes of a 2-game suspension dashed

(NEWSER) - Pittsburgh fans can forget any hope that Ben Roethlisberger will get off with a slap on the wrist. The league today suspended Big Ben for the first 6 games of next season for violating its personal conduct policy, reports ESPN . Some in the Steelers organization had actually feared an 8-game penance over the rape allegations. More»

Woeful Cleveland willing to give NBA star a shot

(NEWSER) - If LeBron James really wants to try football, Eric Mangini will find room on his roster. “I think he should come on down,” the Browns coach tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer . “The guy’s a freak athletically.” James may be an NBA star now, but he played wide receiver in high school. He opined on Monday Night Football that, if he dedicated himself to football, “I could be really good.” More»

But hold your bets: Rankings show winning isn't everything

(NEWSER) - Great NFL organizations don’t always win Super Bowls, so Adam Schein separates the well oiled from the well Lombardi’d for Fox Sports, ranking franchises on everything from their coaching staffs to public-relations people. The top three:

• New England Patriots: “The model franchise in all of professional sports.”
• Pittsburgh Steelers: A penchant for toughness and even tougher fan base.