The Third Dukes

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - In a move that will allow movie studios to inject racy jokes into the trailers they use to promote their more adult-oriented films, the nation's largest theater chain has decided to permit restricted, "red band" trailers in its multiplexes.

The move by Regal Entertainment Group, which operates 6,388 screens in 39 states and the District of Columbia, likely will lead to similar decisions at a number of the nation's other major chains.

As last week's ShoWest convention of movie theater owners in Las Vegas drew to a close, the Knoxville, Tenn.-based circuit began notifying the studios of its decision.

The news was received enthusiastically by distributors who have had to promote such R-rated comedies as "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" with sanitized, green band trailers tailored for general audiences.

"This is going to be hugely helpful for us when we want to give targeted moviegoers a true sense of the kind of movies we are offering," said Adam Fogelson, Universal president of marketing and distribution. "I couldn't be happier or more grateful to the people at Regal for continuing the dialogue that has led to this decision."

The MPAA's Advertising Administration, which oversees the advertising materials used by its member studios, approves two types of trailers for use in the theaters. So-called green band trailers -- also known as green-tag trailers -- open with a green advisory card that reads "the following preview has been approved for all audiences." Red band trailers, which can appear only before R-rated, NC-17-rated or unrated movies, warn that "the following preview has been approved for restricted audiences only."

Studios once used red band trailers routinely, but theaters dropped them like hot potatoes after a 2000 Federal Trade Commission report criticizing the entertainment industry for marketing violent entertainment to children.

Exhibitors cut back on red band trailers out of fear of offending patrons and also out of a concern that in handling the dozen or so films screening in a modern multiplex, a red band trailer could be attached inadvertently to a G or PG movie.

The second problem should be eliminated, though, when theaters fully convert to digital, which will allow theater operators greater control and flexibility over the materials screening in each of their auditoriums.

"We had intended when we went to digital to begin to review trailers on a case-by-case basis, but we've decided to jump ahead of that," Regal senior vp marketing and advertising Dick Westerling said.

He explained that the chain's executives were sympathetic to the studios' arguments last summer when Sony said it would have liked to screen a red band trailer for "Superbad" in front of Universal's "Knocked Up." In recent months, Regal quietly has experimented with screening red band trailers at its Regal Cinema Art Theaters that show indie and specialty movies.

"We've been monitoring their use carefully," Westerling said. "And there haven't been any issues that have come up at the theater level. So based on the discussions we've been having, Regal has made the decision to program red band trailers on a case-by-case basis. We're confident that we can execute the new policy successfully."

In recent years, studios have continued to assemble red band trailers, but banned from the major theater chains, the trailers have appeared instead on the Internet, where the MPAA approves them only for sites that carry some age restrictions or make them accessible only during a late-night time period.

During a presentation at ShoWest, Universal's Fogelson showed exhibitors the red band trailer for the R-rated comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," set to open April 18. With "Knocked Up's" Judd Apatow serving as one of its producers, the movie stars Jason Segel as a man trying to break up with his girlfriend, played by Kristen Bell. The movie's green band trailer establishes its premise and plot, while the red band trailer gives a much fuller taste of its raunchy humor and sexual calisthenics, and it had exhibitors laughing.

"I don't think anybody is arguing that all red band trailers are appropriate in front of all R-rated movies," Fogelson said. "For example, it would not be appropriate for a red band trailer for a movie like 'American Pie' to run in front of 'Schindler's List.' We all want to be smart and careful about the use of red band trailers, working closely with our partners in exhibition. We don't want moviegoers seeing material that is inconsistent with the movies they are going to see."

1999's "American Pie" was the last Universal movie that saw a red band trailer play in theaters, and Fogelson argued that the trailer -- which featured the infamous Jason Biggs pie scene -- was critical in establishing how the movie's tone differed from a lot of the teenage sex comedies that Hollywood produced in the 1980s.

Regal said it hasn't decided which red band trailers it will run first, but distributors indicated they'll be submitting trailers this week to Regal for consideration.

Right, that. Stupid me.

I don't understand why starting with the night phase is so bad. Realistically, why would the "town" come to the conclusion they're under attack because of one token kill?

It started with a kick to the head. Then a wicked three-punch combo and soon another powerful kick, then a right cross, then a crushing upper cut and then finally an absolutely vicious knee to the face.

Chris Leben had entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s caged octagon in June 2006 boasting a promising future, a 15-1 record and a granite chin. Forty-nine seconds later he was knocked out by Anderson Silva.

The Brazilian, making his UFC debut, had unleashed an explosion of violence so impressive it managed to shock a sport built on explosions of violence.

“I must have said Holy (expletive) 15 times in 49 seconds,” said Dana White, the UFC president.

The crowd at the Hard Rock Casino went nuts. Fellow fighters looking on stood with mouths agape. Announcer Joe Rogan, sounding a little like he couldn’t believe what he had just seen, declared: “this is a different kind of striker.”

Indeed, Silva was. Fight fans have flocked to the UFC in recent years for the non-stop action, colorful personalities and wild brawls, but this seemed like something new. Silva wasn’t just some street fighter; he was a gifted athlete … who could also street fight.

He hit harder than a Vegas hangover but was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master with fighting flair and a spring in his step. He was a devastating combination of pure grace and unapologetic, unadulterated fury. He didn’t hesitate to go in for the kill, but did it in a way, as brutal as the result was, that belied the old “human cock fighting” label John McCain once placed on this sport before it cleaned up its act.

This was, if you will, kind of beautiful.

The UFC website was besieged by fans demanding Silva, despite being less than a minute into his UFC career, immediately be granted a title shot. White, no dummy, set it up—Silva vs. Rich Franklin, the 19-1 middleweight (185 pound) champion.

It took Silva all of 2:49 to beat the hell out of Franklin in equally brutal fashion, causing the crowd to gasp, scream and roar, all at the same time. The final flurry included a knee to the face breaking Franklin’s nose, an ensuing kick and then another knee to end it.

And with that, it seemed, something had emerged in the fight game that many thought might be lost and gone forever—another Mike Tyson.

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Clad mostly in black trunks and black shoes, Tyson exploded into the late 1980s as a boxer who rarely boxed, preferring to stalk an opponent until he all but decapitated him.

It wasn’t just that he won that thrilled fans it was how he won. He became a 37-0 heavyweight champion on the strength of 33 knockouts that were short on subtlety.

They call boxing the “sweet science,” but this was pure primal power. Mike Tyson fights weren’t just fights they were happenings not to be missed; the opening bell serving as the most exciting moment in sports. You couldn’t dare tune in late (he dropped 17 guys in the first round) or ever turn away (one punch could end it).

Every fight was electric, not just in the arena, but on television. It didn’t matter who Tyson was fighting, you tuned in for the carnage, to witness that moment he was seemingly uncaged and sent to the ring.

“When Mike walked out from the dressing room, you know someone was going to get their ass kicked,” said White before pausing. “God, I loved Mike Tyson.”

Not since Ali was the sport bigger, fans feasting on raw blood lust. There was simply nothing like Tyson then. There certainly has been nothing like him since.

But soon Tyson unraveled and the most exciting moment in American sports became Barry Bonds in a batter’s box or Michael Jordan in the open court or any other take your pick moment.

With the sagging fortunes of boxing it didn’t even seem possible that a “fighter” could regain such a title.

White, once a boxing trainer and gym owner, had even abandoned the sport to help turn the UFC into a sensation. He had felt that same energy on a number of cards, fans jacked to see Chuck Liddell or Randy Couture.

But as big as those guys had gotten, as intense and memorable as their battles were, there still hadn’t been that tour de force, that quick strike, overwhelming, indomitable presence who upon leaving his dressing room you knew, absolutely knew, was about to deliver a beating. The how would surprise, even if the what was expected.

And now here was this 6-foot-2 Brazilian nicknamed Spider, attacking like a pit bull. Here was, A different kind of striker.

“It is the magic hour,” Silva said of his aggressive style through a translator. “I train really hard and it all comes out, all the hard work really comes out. I just go.”

So now here was a guy who White had high hopes for when he signed him from a rival organization, just overwhelming the competition, never letting any of his five UFC fights last past the middle of the second round.

“This guy has come into the UFC and literally walked through the division,” White said. “He walked into the octagon like he owned it.”

Just like Tyson, it wasn’t that he won, but how he won. Different sport, same principle.

Silva says he was a big Tyson fan growing up but he laughs at the comparison. “Why not Roy Jones, Jr.?” he said Thursday. “Why not Michael Jordan?”

Considering the sad state of Tyson’s life, who can blame him? The thing is, other than the Tyson-esque destruction Silva produces when the fight is on, he has nothing in common with Iron Mike.

His long, lanky frame bears little resemblance to Tyson’s intimidating stocky block of power. He smiles a lot, dances often and carries himself with the care-free attitude. He loves Spider-Man, once worked at Burger King and according to the London Daily Star, after granting Franklin a title rematch and then painfully annihilating him again, apologized for administering the whipping—“I am so sorry I had to do that to you again.”

A former Brooklyn purse snatcher he’s not.

“Mike was a guy you’d be scared to meet,” White said. “Anderson Silva is the sweetest guy in the world.

“At least,” White continued, “until he steps into the octagon to finish you.”

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Silva will meet PRIDE middleweight champion Dan Henderson Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, in a title unification match.

Online, the secondary market has a single seat going for up to $1,000. Hotel rooms anywhere near downtown Columbus were gone weeks ago. Millions more are expected to watch around the world via pay per view and the internet. (Disclosure, Yahoo! Sports is an online partner with UFC).

The UFC in particular and mixed martial arts in general, is big business. Its pay per view buys surpassed boxing a couple years back and show no signs of slowing. Silva is its best fighter, ranked the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world regardless by almost everyone, including Yahoo! Sports.

But as fast as the sport is growing, Silva is anything but a household name. Mainstream media still mostly ignore the sport and as old and stagnant as boxing may be, in terms of publicity, its ceiling remains far higher than the UFC. If a boxer was doing what Silva was doing, everyone would know him.

Of course, no one would have an easy time marketing a 32-year-old from Curitiba, Brazil, who speaks no English. Great orator is not a term ever used to describe Tyson (“I’ll fade into Bolivian”), but you could still put him on Jay Leno’s couch. Silva has no such option.

Which might make this phenomenon even better.

He’s captured the imagination of fans purely on his performance. He is the antithesis of the modern sports star, far too many of whom are little more than marketing sensations and Nike commercials, more sizzle than steak.

Silva is doing this the old-fashioned way, one ass kicking at a time.

“Fight fans don’t care what he has to say, they care how he fights,” said White. This is a nice sentiment but he knows it’ll be a struggle to turn this guy into the kind of crossover star Americans Liddell, Couture and Tito Ortiz became.

Still, the proof is in the poundings.

“I will fight anybody, anytime, any place for any reason,” Silva said.

Henderson, a hard-hitting former Olympic wrestler considered the second best middle weight in the world, is the next “anybody.” This will be Silva’s sternest UFC test and if he can dominate Henderson, there is no logical opponent on the horizon.

“If this guy walks through Dan Henderson like he’s walked through everyone else in the UFC, I don’t know if anyone will ever beat Anderson Silva,” White said. Henderson’s strategy is simple; don’t get caught up in the electricity of the Tyson moment, then avoid getting knocked out long enough to get Silva to the ground and hope he can wear him down wrestling.

The big question with Silva is whether he can stand a long fight; a question, of course, that exists solely because he crushes everyone so quickly.

“He’s definitely beatable,” Henderson said, undaunted. “I’m going out there to beat him up.”

A lot of guys used to say that about Tyson, too.

Eh, we acquitted ourselves just fine against Chelski. Even if it was a lesser side, we showed we're no pushovers.

Go Rovers! Keep the League One dream alive!

ACCRA (AFP) - Egypt retained their African Nations Cup crown here Sunday when Mohamed Aboutraika lifted the champions to a 1-0 win over Cameroon and a record sixth title.

The defending champions ensured they held on to the trophy when, after a slick passing movement, Aboutraika struck in the 77th minute.

The result was the Pharoahs final act in what has been a hugely impressive campaign in Ghana which saw them build on defeat of the Cameroonians in their opening group game to record victories over Sudan, Tunisia and Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.

The only minor blemish on an otherwise perfect passage to the continental trophy was the 1-1 draw with Zambia.

Egypt were adding the 2008 trophy to their wins in 1957, 1959, 1986 (on penalties against Cameroon), 1998 and 2006 with coach Hassan Shehata joining an exclusive club numbering just two of coaches who have won back-to-back titles.

Shehata had promised that his players could keep the trophy won in Cairo two years ago and his prediction was proved right on a hot and humid night in the Ghana capital.

If the competition had followed the popular script Sunday's finale would have pitted Ghana against pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast.

The sparring finalists boasted more titles between them than street sellers outside Accra's Ohene Djan stadium, and that pedigree showed as they put on a fast moving display for watching former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho and the rest of the crowd.

Cameroon were without suspended defender Andre Bikey, but Alexandre Song, stretchered off in the semi-final win over Ghana, was on the pitch.

However, the Arsenal defender, clearly out of sorts, only lasted a quarter of an hour, limping off dejectedly with Benfica back Gilles Binya taking his place.

Before Song's exit Hosny Abd Rabou had kicked off Egypt's attack with a sweetly taken 30m free kick which flew over the Cameroon defence to test Carlos Kameni.

The Cameroon keeper had to look sharp minutes later to deny Emad Moteab's angled shot.

Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan then did well to stick his foot out to deflect Joel Epaule's potent effort.

Pharoahs' keeper Essam al-Hadary, man of the match against Ivory Coast, was up to the job of denying a 30m freekick special from Geremi and on the counter attack Kameni had to produce an acrobatic dive to keep out Moteab's dangerous strike.

Samuel Eto'o took on the Egyptian defence singlehandedly approaching the break only for his shot to edge wide of the far post while again on the counter attack Kameni performed sterling work to close down a shot from the charging Moteab's in the box.

The only surprise was that neither country had been able to add to their 14 goal haul since battle commenced three weeks ago.

Egypt looked the more likely to score in the opening 45 minutes but captain Rigobert Song, Kameni and the rest of the Cameroon defence were holding tight.

Eto'o, the competition's all time top scorer, had the Egyptians scampering around around the hour mark with a lightning run down the left.

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister then introduced striker Mohamadou Idrissou for a midfielder, Achille Emana, as he sought the keys to unlock the Egyptians with Shehata swoping Moteab for sharp shooting Hamburg striker Mohamed Zidan.

Zidan scored twice in Egypt's win over Cameroon earlier in the tournament and he was instrumental in putting them into a 77nd minute lead.

He robbed the tiring Rigobert Song and his slide rule pass from the left found the unmarked Aboutraika who calmly struck low and hard past Kameni.

That was the Al Ahly midfielder's fourth goal, and it set up a fraught final quarter of an hour as Cameroon frantically tried to get back into it but the defending champions held on to take the continental cup back to Cairo.

Why should playing in MLS disqualify him? If he's good, he's good -- no matter who his competition is.

And Donovan was literally never given a chance at Leverkusen, which you'd know if you bothered to follow leagues outside your own. The German leagues just don't like Americans -- Clint Mathis was buried during his tenure there after a stellar 2002 World Cup. The only American who has really succeeded there is Cherundolo with Hannover.

I'm "hating" on him because in my opinion he doesn't even play professional football anymore. We'll never know wether he's "on his game" or not because hows he going to prove it while playing for LA Galaxy?

For those curious, Joe Cole's assist to Jermaine Jenas made SportsCenter in the US. Which is either a sign of the apocalypse or an inability to deny magic.

Quarterfinals are set, and they should be good ones.

Nigeria @ Ghana

Angola v. Egypt

Guinea v. Ivory Coast

Cameroon v. Tunisia

I'd say the draw looks very good for Egypt -- they get Angola first, then a very weak winner of Nigeria/Ghana, then an emotionally spent winner of Ivory Coast/Cameroon. They're a dark horse in this thing.

Chelsea away? Bring it on. Or at leasy, pay us in advance.

Seriously, though, I'm thrilled we made the Last 16, and I hope we can put in a great showing against Chelsea. For a club that was threatened with dissolution earlier this decade -- this is a wonderful turnaround.

As one of the few Huddersfield fans, I'm thrilled right now. 1-0 over Oldham and we're in the Sweet 16, baby! Woohoo!

Holy cow. Nigeria and Mali finish scoreless. Nigeria on 1 point from their 2 games and on life support in Group B -- They need to beat Benin, have Ivory Coast mug Mali, and hope the GD swings their way. Unbelievable turn of events here.

I warned you about Guinea.

And Namibia's all but gone now. Ghana/Morocco will be a thriller.

Salomon Kalou's goal for Ivory Coast against Nigeria actually made SportsCenter over here. It was a great run through the defense, but I'm shocked no one tried to take him down. All the same, looks like a wide-open tournament so far. Guinea played Ghana respectably and will be a tough out.

Quote

ACCRA (AFP) - The west African state of Ghana is about to take its place in the international spotlight as hosts of the 26th African Nations Cup.

It's been a bit of a scramble but the former British colony is all set for the biggest show of its short life, one that promises to upstage even last year's celebrations to mark 50 years of independence.

Sunday's opening match between the Michael Essien-led hosts against neighbours Guinea raises the curtain on what many people are predicting will be the toughest and best Nations Cup ever staged.

The squad lists of the 16 teams read like a who's who of footballing A List stars, their clubs reluctantly letting their prize jewels answer the call of Africa at the expense of their domestic calendar.

And here to see them are tens of thousands of supporters keeping the baggage handlers busy at Accra airport.

One fan arrived on Thursday with five friends from London.

"I shouldn't be here as I've just had eight months off work with a bad back, my boss and my wife are mad at me, but I wouldn't miss this for the world," he confided to AFP.

Local hopes are high that Ghana can continue the good run enjoyed by countries that have acted as hosts, Egypt and Tunisia thrilling their home crowd in 2006 and 2004 respectively.

"Everyone says we'll win, but they're probably just trying to be polite," said Godwin, one of Accra's taxi drivers who over the next three weeks will have his foot to the floor ferrying tourists from the city's stadium to their barely finished hotels.

Ghana themselves won the biennial competition twice on home turf and are looking to repeat the magic under the canny managership of Frenchman Claude Le Roy.

But they will have to do so without their injured captain, Fenerbache's Stephen Appiah.

Ghana though are so much more than a one-star team, as they can also call on the expertise of Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari and Udinese's young attacking phenomenon Asamoah Gyan.

The 2008 Nations Cup is being played out at four venues - Accra, Sekondi, Tamale and Kumasi.

Sharing the billing with the Black Stars as favourites are westcoast neighbours the Ivory Coast with Didier Drogba, Nigeria and Samuel Eto'o's always dangerous Cameroons.

But it would be a mistake to suggest the three-week footballing feast can be reduced to a shortlist of this quartet if the lessons of the 2006 World Cup are to be learned.

In Germany the natural African order of things was turned on its head with traditional heavyweights like Nigeria and Cameroon making way for novices Angola, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

It promises to be an eventful footballing safari.

 

I'm impressed you know of most of these obscure films, Skummy. I hadn't heard of probably six or so of them.

Angel Heart is a good fun film (although not actually very good), but "Louis Cyphre" is the most obvious "twist" in history (twistory) and a horrible, horrible pun. Yawn.

http://www.premiere.com/features/4042/20-b...lot-twists.html

In no particular order, and without spoilers since half of them are now common knowledge:

Planet of the Apes

The Empire Strikes Back

Fight Club

Psycho

Citizen Kane

Soylent Green

The Usual Suspects

Oldboy

Mission Impossible

Friday the Thirteenth

Chinatown

The Cabinet of Dr. Cagliari

The Wicker Man

Twelve Monkeys

Jacob's Ladder

Eddie and the Cruisers

Angel Heart

The Game

The Sixth Sense

The Crying Game

So, what are your favorite movie twists?

Lemme in that sucka!

If the Skins beat a depleted Cowboys team, is Joe Gibbs the official Coach of the Year?

Arena keen on Scotland job

December 10, 2007

Special to PA SportsTicker

Former United States boss Bruce Arena has also revealed his interest in becoming Scotland's new manager.

The 56-year-old American led the US national team from 1998 to 2006, and then embarked on a spell in charge of the New York Red Bulls before leaving that job last month.

Arena apparently is keen to move to Britain.

"I would definitely be very interested in the Scotland vacancy," Arena told the Sun. "I will be speaking to my agents this week about getting in touch with the SFA and letting them know I am keen.

"I believe an American could be a success on the other side of thr Atlantic."

Scotland's previous manager Alex McLeish resigned last month to take charge of English Premier League side Birmingham.

Magical. Simply magical goal.

I would add to his legacy the Man U rally against Bayern. His 2 corners were well-placed enough to trigger the goal-scoring opportunities, and that team was a special team.

Forget Iraq, the real fun's gonna be when the US plays Cuba in the regional semis. You just know Castro or whoever's controlling the robot stand-in will do something to screw with that game.

Redskins safety Sean Taylor dies a day after being shot

By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer

November 27, 2007

MIAMI (AP) -- Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday after he was shot in his home by an apparent intruder, leaving the Washington Redskins in mourning for a teammate who seemed to have reordered his life since becoming a father.

The 24-year-old player died at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday.

"It is with deep regret that a young man had to come to his end so soon," father Richard Taylor said in a statement on behalf of the family. "Many of his fans loved him because the way he played football. Many of his opponents feared him the way he approached the game. Others misunderstood him, many appreciated him and his family loved him."

A string of mourners, including Taylor's father, visited the player's home and embraced outside. Authorities entered the home, but it was unclear what they were doing.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will honor Taylor's memory at all games this weekend.

"This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it," he said in a statement.

Taylor's No. 21 will be painted in a grass parking area leading into Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. In addition, No. 21 will also be painted in front of the Redskins Hall of Fame store.

Fans already began a makeshift memorial by laying flowers on a field near the front entrance to the practice facility. Several people paid respects at Taylor's parking space.

"This is the worst imaginable tragedy," Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."

Redskins teammate Clinton Portis also played with Taylor at the University of Miami. He had sensed a new maturity in his close friend.

"It's hard to expect a man to grow up overnight," Portis said. "But ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean, and everybody around here knew it. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child."

Two bouquets were left by a palm tree outside a front gate of the home. Beside the mailbox, an untouched newspaper lay with news of Taylor's shooting.

Taylor's death comes nearly a year after Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting following an argument at a Denver nightclub on Jan. 1. University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot to death in November 2006 several miles from Taylor's home in an unsolved killing.

Doctors had been encouraged late Monday when Taylor squeezed a nurse's hand, according to Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' vice president of football operations. But family friend Richard Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being taken to the hospital, and he wasn't sure how he had squeezed the nurse's hand. He said Taylor's father told him the death occurred about 5:30 a.m.

"Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something," Sharpstein said.

Taylor, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft following an All-American season at Miami, was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging the key femoral artery and causing significant blood loss.

"According to a preliminary investigation, it appears that the victim was shot inside the home by an intruder," Miami-Dade County police said in a statement. "We do not have a subject description at this time."

The attack came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were sent to the home about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called 911.

Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor's 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend was injured.

Police found signs of forced entry, but have not determined if they were caused Monday or during the previous burglary.

The shooting happened in the pale yellow house Taylor bought two years ago. In last week's break-in, police said someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed.

Taylor starred as a running back and defensive back at Gulliver Prep in Miami. His father is police chief of Florida City.

A private man with a small inner circle, Taylor rarely granted interviews. But, behind the scenes, Taylor was described as personable and smart.

After Taylor was drafted, problems soon began. Taylor fired his agent, then skipped part of the NFL's mandatory rookie symposium, drawing a $25,000 fine. Driving home late from a party during the season, he was pulled over and charged with drunken driving. The case was dismissed in court, but by then it had become a monthslong distraction for the Redskins.

Taylor also was fined at least seven times for late hits, uniform violations and other infractions over his first three seasons, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of an opponent during a 2006 playoff game.

Taylor endured a yearlong legal battle after he was accused in 2005 of brandishing a gun at a man during a fight over allegedly stolen all-terrain vehicles near Taylor's home. He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Investigators work outside the home of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor in Palmetto Bay, Fla. Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. Taylor died early Tuesday one day after being shot shot in his home.

AP - Nov 27, 1:10 pm EST

More Photos

Taylor said the end of the assault case was like "a gray cloud" being lifted. It was also around the time that his daughter was born, and teammates noticed a change.

On the field, Taylor's play was often erratic. Assistant coach Gregg Williams frequently called Taylor the best athlete he'd ever coached, but nearly every big play was mitigated by a blown assignment. Taylor led the NFL in missed tackles in 2006 yet made the Pro Bowl because of his reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league.

This year, however, Taylor was allowed to play a true free safety position, using his speed and power to chase down passes and crush would-be receivers. His five interceptions tie for the league lead in the NFC, even though he missed the last two games because of a sprained knee.

"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'

"So I just say, 'I'm healthy right now, I'm going into my fourth year, and why not do the best that I can?' And that's whatever it is, whether it's eating right or training myself right, whether it's studying harder, whatever I can do to better myself."

Dukes analogies are horrible. The Knicks were never 'better' without Patrick Ewing.