Paleocon
Guru
Don Wassall said:
Ummm, ok. I guess it must be hard not to end up making contradictory statements while trying to figure out how a slow stiff white guy can possibly play NFL football.
Tommy Zbikowski, S
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Ummm, ok. I guess it must be hard not to end up making contradictory statements while trying to figure out how a slow stiff white guy can possibly play NFL football.
Permanently injured "great" Ed Reed was placed on the reserve/PUP list, so he's out until at least Week 7, giving Tommy Z plenty of time to showcase his abilities.
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Great news! Zbikowski was one of my favorite players when he was at ND. He'll make the Ravens a tad more bearable to watch.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
I believe Tommy Z may also be returning punts this season if only temporarily.
sport historian
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Don Wassall said:
On the NFL Network, I just saw Ed Reed named one of the 100 best pro football players of all time. he was Number 88.
Predictably, Zbikowski is under fire because of a bad decision on a punt return in the team's opening game. Pray he doesn't miss any tackling opportunities on Sunday as his leash has gotten shorter. Looks like Harbaugh is still solidly behind him, which should keep thehowling DWFs and mediaat bay for now.
<H3 =entry-er>Prince Miller returns</H3>
<DIV =entry->
<DIV =entry->
The Ravens re-signed cornerback Prince Miller on Tuesday and speculation immediately centered on him replacing Tom Zbikowski to return punts against the Bengals on Sunday.
Don't expect it to happen. Although coach John Harbaugh indicated returns were part of the reason they signed Miller off the Patriots' practice squad, Harbaugh isn't likely to give up on Zbikowski after one game.
Although Miller had a flashy 57-yard punt return Aug. 12, he also muffed a punt return near his own goal line against the Giants on Aug. 28. Miller averaged 13.8 yards for 10 punt returns for the Ravens in the preseason. Waived on Sept. 5 -- a day after final cuts by the Ravens -- Miller signed with the Patriots' practice squad rather than go to the Ravens' practice squad.
NFL rules dictate that Miller must spend at least three weeks on the Ravens' active roster after being signed off another team's practice squad.
Harbaugh was typically vague speaking about Miller's role during Wednesday's session with the media.
"Obviously, that's part of our deal with that," he said of the prospect that Miller might return punts. "Whether he can do that this week, I don't know and I probably wouldn't give it to you anyway."
Harbaugh acknowledged the issue of ball security.
"That's why I like Zibby," he said. "He's going to be secure with the ball. But he's got to go north and south instead of going sideways."
Zbikowski made a poor decision against the New York Jets, catching a punt at his own 5 along the sideline. He attempted to out-run the Jets' coverage team by running laterally along the goal line, and was tackled at the 1.
"To be honest, I was caught up playing defense and I lost track where I was on the punt return," said Zbikowski, who gained five yards on four returns and one fair catch against the Jets.
Zbikowski averaged 11.5 yards on four returns in the preseason, including a 28-yarder. He did not fumble the ball. Until Monday night in the Meadowlands, he had been strictly a north-south runner.
Zbikowski showed no loss of confidence on Wednesday.
"We have much bigger worries than returning punts," he said about this week's game in Cincinnati.
<DIV =entry->http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/09/prince_miller_returns.html
<H3 =entry-er>Prince Miller returns</H3>
<DIV =entry->
<DIV =entry->
The Ravens re-signed cornerback Prince Miller on Tuesday and speculation immediately centered on him replacing Tom Zbikowski to return punts against the Bengals on Sunday.
Don't expect it to happen. Although coach John Harbaugh indicated returns were part of the reason they signed Miller off the Patriots' practice squad, Harbaugh isn't likely to give up on Zbikowski after one game.
Although Miller had a flashy 57-yard punt return Aug. 12, he also muffed a punt return near his own goal line against the Giants on Aug. 28. Miller averaged 13.8 yards for 10 punt returns for the Ravens in the preseason. Waived on Sept. 5 -- a day after final cuts by the Ravens -- Miller signed with the Patriots' practice squad rather than go to the Ravens' practice squad.
NFL rules dictate that Miller must spend at least three weeks on the Ravens' active roster after being signed off another team's practice squad.
Harbaugh was typically vague speaking about Miller's role during Wednesday's session with the media.
"Obviously, that's part of our deal with that," he said of the prospect that Miller might return punts. "Whether he can do that this week, I don't know and I probably wouldn't give it to you anyway."
Harbaugh acknowledged the issue of ball security.
"That's why I like Zibby," he said. "He's going to be secure with the ball. But he's got to go north and south instead of going sideways."
Zbikowski made a poor decision against the New York Jets, catching a punt at his own 5 along the sideline. He attempted to out-run the Jets' coverage team by running laterally along the goal line, and was tackled at the 1.
"To be honest, I was caught up playing defense and I lost track where I was on the punt return," said Zbikowski, who gained five yards on four returns and one fair catch against the Jets.
Zbikowski averaged 11.5 yards on four returns in the preseason, including a 28-yarder. He did not fumble the ball. Until Monday night in the Meadowlands, he had been strictly a north-south runner.
Zbikowski showed no loss of confidence on Wednesday.
"We have much bigger worries than returning punts," he said about this week's game in Cincinnati.
<DIV =entry->http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/09/prince_miller_returns.html
Man I hope Ed Reed retires or loses a limb this off-season. I truly feel Tommy Z could be a Pro Bowl safety in the mode of a John Lynch or Rodney Harrison. He will knock peoples' heads off! He is also more athletic and was an outstanding punt returner in college.<div>
</div><div>He has done his couple years of racial apprenticeship. 2011 (assuming there is a season) is gonna be his year!</div>
</div><div>He has done his couple years of racial apprenticeship. 2011 (assuming there is a season) is gonna be his year!</div>
PhillyBirds
Mentor
He's always been solid and productive whether replacing Reed due to injuries, returning kicks and punts, or playing special teams. He's such a great athlete that it should be a no-brainer to have him as a starter at one of the safety spots.
celticdb15
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<H1 =h2>Tom Zbikowski ready for return to ring</H1>
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<CITE =source>By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive </CITE>
Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, who fought once professionally in 2006, plans to return to boxing next week in the likely event that NFL owners lock out players once the deadline to secure a new collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight ET Thursday.
If there is no deal, Zbikowski will fight a four-round bout as a cruiserweight on March 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the televised undercard of the Showtime PPV card headlined by junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto's first defense against Ricardo Mayorga.
Zbikowski's request for a boxing license is on the agenda of Tuesday's Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting. He must go before the panel for a license because he has been inactive as a fighter for more than 36 consecutive months. Getting the license, however, is likely a formality.
"He's coming back to boxing, assuming there's a lockout," Carl Moretti of promoter Top Rank told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "If there's a lockout, at that point, he's free to go ahead and fight. He's fought once already and he probably has the most extensive amateur (boxing) background of any pro football player, and he really loves the sport."
Zbikowski played college football at Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007. He went by the name "Tommy Z" during the build up to his lone pro fight, coming into the ring to the Notre Dame fight song. He needed just 49 seconds to knock out Robert Bell at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2006 on the undercard of another Cotto fight -- a junior welterweight title defense against Paulie Malignaggi.
It was a one-shot deal for Zbikowski, who played the next season for the Fighting Irish and was eventually selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
For the fight against Bell, Zbikowski fought as a heavyweight, weighing 214 pounds. For the fight next week, he plans to fight slightly below 200 pounds in the cruiserweight division, Moretti said.
Zbikowski, 26, of Arlington Heights, Ill., is being trained by Orlando Cuellar, who is best known as the longtime trainer of former light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson. Miguel Diaz, one of boxing most respected cutmen, will also be in his corner.
Zbikowski, whose first fight was also on a Top Rank card, attended the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley press conference in Las Vegas last month and met with Top Rank chief Bob Arum to talk about fighting again in the event of a lockout.
As an amateur, Zbikowski, who took up boxing when he was 9, fashioned a 75-15 record.
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<CITE =source>By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive </CITE>
Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, who fought once professionally in 2006, plans to return to boxing next week in the likely event that NFL owners lock out players once the deadline to secure a new collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight ET Thursday.
If there is no deal, Zbikowski will fight a four-round bout as a cruiserweight on March 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the televised undercard of the Showtime PPV card headlined by junior middleweight titleholder Miguel Cotto's first defense against Ricardo Mayorga.
Zbikowski's request for a boxing license is on the agenda of Tuesday's Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting. He must go before the panel for a license because he has been inactive as a fighter for more than 36 consecutive months. Getting the license, however, is likely a formality.
"He's coming back to boxing, assuming there's a lockout," Carl Moretti of promoter Top Rank told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "If there's a lockout, at that point, he's free to go ahead and fight. He's fought once already and he probably has the most extensive amateur (boxing) background of any pro football player, and he really loves the sport."
Zbikowski played college football at Notre Dame from 2003 to 2007. He went by the name "Tommy Z" during the build up to his lone pro fight, coming into the ring to the Notre Dame fight song. He needed just 49 seconds to knock out Robert Bell at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2006 on the undercard of another Cotto fight -- a junior welterweight title defense against Paulie Malignaggi.
It was a one-shot deal for Zbikowski, who played the next season for the Fighting Irish and was eventually selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
For the fight against Bell, Zbikowski fought as a heavyweight, weighing 214 pounds. For the fight next week, he plans to fight slightly below 200 pounds in the cruiserweight division, Moretti said.
Zbikowski, 26, of Arlington Heights, Ill., is being trained by Orlando Cuellar, who is best known as the longtime trainer of former light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson. Miguel Diaz, one of boxing most respected cutmen, will also be in his corner.
Zbikowski, whose first fight was also on a Top Rank card, attended the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley press conference in Las Vegas last month and met with Top Rank chief Bob Arum to talk about fighting again in the event of a lockout.
As an amateur, Zbikowski, who took up boxing when he was 9, fashioned a 75-15 record.
Good, I really hope he does. There should be no reason he can't do both. He is an elite athlete. If Deon Sanders could play football and baseball, or Danny Ainge basketball and baseball I don't see any reason why Zbikowski shouldn't be able to box and play safety for the Ravens.
At some point, Zbikowski will leave football for boxing
"At some point, I will (move to boxing full-time)," Zbikowski said yesterday on a conference call. "I'm still young. I know a lot of boxers' primes are 29, 30, 31, so I know I have time, but God, I miss it. I've enjoyed every minute of getting back in, and just doing the hard work of training and the feeling of fighting again.
"At some point, I will be in the ring full-time."
full article: http://www.masnsports.com/dan_kolko/2011/03/at-some-point-zbikowski-will-leave-football-for-boxing.html
"At some point, I will (move to boxing full-time)," Zbikowski said yesterday on a conference call. "I'm still young. I know a lot of boxers' primes are 29, 30, 31, so I know I have time, but God, I miss it. I've enjoyed every minute of getting back in, and just doing the hard work of training and the feeling of fighting again.
"At some point, I will be in the ring full-time."
full article: http://www.masnsports.com/dan_kolko/2011/03/at-some-point-zbikowski-will-leave-football-for-boxing.html
No way Chad Johnson will ever step in the ring with Tommy Z.
Zbikowski challenges Ochocinco to a four-round boxingmatch
Earlier today, Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski told Dan Patrick that the non-teammate Zbikowski would most like to face in the ring plays in Cincinnati, and goes by the name "Ochocinco" Ã¢â‚¬" and that Zbikowski would knock Ocho out in 45 seconds.
Said Ochocinco, in a Twitter message: "you wana go nite nite, you want to box me, for 1 your feet are to slow and you've no hand speed to even be competitive."Â
Zbikowski didn't hesitate, posting the following challenge on his Facebook page: "Dear Ocho Cinco . . . thanks for following my career . . . You and me at M&T Bank Stadium, charity four-round boxing match. You wear Orange and Black and I will wear Purple and black. If we do it in May, that should give you enough time to get ready . . . You game?"Â
We're game. Hell, we'd even break out the '68 VW bus and drive over there for it.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/07/zbikowski-challenges-ochocinco-to-a-four-round-boxing-match/
Edited by: Don Wassall
Zbikowski challenges Ochocinco to a four-round boxingmatch
Earlier today, Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski told Dan Patrick that the non-teammate Zbikowski would most like to face in the ring plays in Cincinnati, and goes by the name "Ochocinco" Ã¢â‚¬" and that Zbikowski would knock Ocho out in 45 seconds.
Said Ochocinco, in a Twitter message: "you wana go nite nite, you want to box me, for 1 your feet are to slow and you've no hand speed to even be competitive."Â
Zbikowski didn't hesitate, posting the following challenge on his Facebook page: "Dear Ocho Cinco . . . thanks for following my career . . . You and me at M&T Bank Stadium, charity four-round boxing match. You wear Orange and Black and I will wear Purple and black. If we do it in May, that should give you enough time to get ready . . . You game?"Â
We're game. Hell, we'd even break out the '68 VW bus and drive over there for it.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/07/zbikowski-challenges-ochocinco-to-a-four-round-boxing-match/
Edited by: Don Wassall
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
It will be interesting to see how Johnson responds to this challenge. If he was stupid enough to get in the ring with Tommy, he'd be quickly dispatched.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Ochostinko will just do what he and many of the affletes do best, run his mouth. He won't get in the ring with Tommy Z. He knows he can't win.
celticdb15
Hall of Famer
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- 8,469
Haha! I'm lovin Tommy Z's confidence. LEts hope Ochocinco has the cajones to get in the ring...
Colonel_Reb
Hall of Famer
Yep, you can bet Ohnostinko will run his mowf. I wish more Whites would challenge these great black windbags and expose them for the gutless frauds they truly are.
SuperSpeed23
Guru
Oh man id love to see this fight. Maybe ocho will get some teeth knocked out and he wont want to talk anymore.
Highlander
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Great to see Zib immediately go after the drunk caste media's anointed supa alpha male. How great it would be if BSPN televised this and Zib beat their alpha male for all to see. It would be a nice little chink in the armor of their black supremacy agenda and give voice and confidence to other White athletes that may doubt themselves because of the endless propaganda propagated against them.
This matchup with Chad Johnson would be too good to be true, it won't happen. Chad does have the self-preservation instinct of a coward which is evidenced by his refusal to go over the middle and catch a football in traffic, he will run his mouth but he won't fight anybody. I also wouldn't mind seeing Tommy Z fight a teammate of his in a charity boxing match, Ray Lewis.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Supposedly Ochostinko does some boxing as part of his training regimen. That wouldn't make a difference as he's weak and stupid. Tommy only has a few professional fights under his belt but he does have an extensive amateur background. He won't be knocking the Klitschko's out anytime soon but I'm sure he could take this clown out in one round.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Watching Zbikowski emasculate the frail, pencil-neck wussy, OchoHomo, would be too sweet. ESPN and NFL Network would be on pins and needles as their official corporate mascot searched the ring for his shattered, gold-encrusted teeth. This fight will never happen"¦.diva-boy has a testicular deficiency.
Paleocon
Guru
Johnson is nothing more than a child mentally and emotionally. He gets consumed with envy any time someone other than him gets any attention for an athletic achievement. So he runs his mouth and everyone starts paying him attention which is what he craves more than any achievement.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Could Tommy Z turn into the next Tomasz Adamek if he follows through with his boxing career?
<div class="headline" style="background: url("/img/nfl/teams/icons/BAL.gif"
no-repeat scroll left top rgb(49, 25, 107);">
<div ="p">Tom Zbikowski
- DB -
Ravens
</div>
</div>
<div ="re">
Boxing promoter Bob Arum seriously believes that Ravens S Tom Zbikowski has a career in the ring.
</div>
<div ="impact">
Zbikowski even hinted on Profootballtalk.com's PFT Live
Friday that he might consider taking up boxing full time if the Ravens
win a Super Bowl in the next few years. "[Don] King wants to match him
against his world cruiserweight champion," Arum said. "It's a bit too
soon for that, but Tommy is extraordinarily talented. Very quick, good
punch. He's the goods. He isn't a gimmick. ... This kid was raised as a
fighter, boxing was his first sport."
</div>
<div class="headline" style="background: url("/img/nfl/teams/icons/BAL.gif"
no-repeat scroll left top rgb(49, 25, 107);"><div ="p">Tom Zbikowski
- DB -
Ravens
</div>
</div>
<div ="re">
Boxing promoter Bob Arum seriously believes that Ravens S Tom Zbikowski has a career in the ring.
</div>
<div ="impact">
Zbikowski even hinted on Profootballtalk.com's PFT Live
Friday that he might consider taking up boxing full time if the Ravens
win a Super Bowl in the next few years. "[Don] King wants to match him
against his world cruiserweight champion," Arum said. "It's a bit too
soon for that, but Tommy is extraordinarily talented. Very quick, good
punch. He's the goods. He isn't a gimmick. ... This kid was raised as a
fighter, boxing was his first sport."
</div>