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By Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 11, 2000
PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles running back Duce Staley will miss the rest of the season after having surgery Tuesday to repair his injured right foot.
Staley was injured in a 38-10 victory over the Falcons on Oct. 1.
Staley had not missed an NFL game and had started 29 consecutive games before missing Sunday's game against Washington.
Also Tuesday, the Eagles signed former Florida State running back Amp Lee to a one-year contract.
"We expect Duce to have a full recovery and be ready to go for the 2001 season," coach Andy Reid said in a statement.
Staley rushed for 201 yards in a 41-14 season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys but had been slowed since. In five games, Staley gained 344 yards on 79 carries.
Brian Mitchell, Darnell Autry, Stanley Pritchett and Lee will attempt to fill the void created by Staley's absence.
Lee, entering his ninth season, was a member of the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams. He has played in 113 career games (14 starts) and rushed for 1,510 yards and seven touchdowns. He has caught 334 passes for 3,079 yards and 15 touchdowns.
"Amp has been a quality running back in the NFL, not only as a third-down back but when he has been used in normal situations as well," Reid said.
BEARS: Tight end John Allred was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, and the team signed fullback/tight end Scott Dragos. Kaseem Sinceno probably will start against Minnesota.
BILLS: Running back Antowain Smith didn't get his wish as the trading deadline passed. Smith, benched the past two games, reportedly asked to be traded.
BRONCOS: Linebacker Bill Romanowski's wife pleaded innocent to charges she fraudulently obtained a prescription diet drug for him. Julie Romanowski faces a trial in March. A Nov. 6 hearing has been scheduled for Bill Romanowski, charged with using a drug prescribed for someone else.
CHIEFS: The mother of Derrick Thomas said in a lawsuit that her son was paralyzed and later died because the roof of his Chevrolet Suburban caved in during a rollover. The lawsuit also contends that ambulance workers and a hospital in Kansas City were negligent. It seeks unspecified damages.
COLTS: The brother of running back Edgerrin James was in serious condition after being shot in the back by a man he thinks he knows. No arrests had been made in the shooting about 2 a.m. Monday outside the Immokalee apartment of Cherron James. Investigators said James, 24, gave conflicting stories.
FALCONS: Atlanta placed rookie tackle Michael Thompson on injured reserve with a torn right Achilles' tendon and signed lineman Evan Pilgrim.
49ERS: Defensive lineman Junior Bryant (neck) and safety John Keith (forearm) were put on injured reserve and are out for the season. Linebacker Julian Peterson (knee) could miss four weeks.
REDSKINS: Rookie Kris Heppner won a four-man audition for the kicking job, beating out Jeff Hall, Chris Jacke and Doug Pelfrey. Heppner replaces Michael Husted. The ex-Buc kicked winning field goals the past two games but failed to score beyond 28 yards. ... Receiver Albert Connell was fined an undisclosed amount for arguing with position coach Terry Robiskie during Sunday's win over the Eagles.
SAINTS: New Orleans signed free-agent receiver Charlie Jones for the rest of the season. Starting receiver Jake Reed left Sunday's win over Chicago with a sprained left knee and ankle. Reed, 33, is the team's third-leading receiver with 14 catches for 170 yards, and his status for Sunday's game against Carolina was unknown.
STEELERS: Coach Bill Cowher, addressing why Kent Graham has regained his spot as starting quarterback, said he wants to get the ball downfield more to Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward, Troy Edwards and Bobby Shaw. Kordell Stewart has relied on short throws or running when receivers were covered. ... Right tackle Shar Pourdanesh (knee) is out three weeks, and left tackle Wayne Gandy has an injured shoulder. Pourdanesh was filling in for rookie Marvel Smith (sprained knee), who may return Sunday. If Gandy can't play Sunday, Smith may shift to left tackle, with Larry Tharpe starting at right tackle. ... Offensive lineman Chris Conrad, a 1998 third-round draft choice from Fresno State, is retiring, opting not to have neck surgery to repair several damaged discs.
NEW YORK -- With no Olympics or baseball to compete with, Monday Night Football drew its best TV rating since Dennis Miller's debut.
ABC Sports pulled in a 14.9 national rating and 25 share for the Vikings' 30-23 victory over the Buccaneers. That's 23 percent higher than the rating for last year's Week 6 game, between the Giants and Cowboys, and 27 percent better than the Week 6 game two years ago, Dolphins vs. Jaguars.
Each rating point represents about 1-million households. Share is the number of TV sets in use tuned to a program.
TOP OFFICIAL HIRED: Carl Paganelli, the Arena Football League's supervisor of officials the past 11 years, was hired for the same job.