Johnson Criticizes Reporter

Keyshawn Johnson’s mouth could be getting him in trouble again.

The outspoken Dallas receiver sharply criticized Fox sideline reporter Pam Oliver on his satellite radio show Thursday, saying he wanted to “spank her with a ruler” for reporting he got into a sideline shouting match with Cowboy assistant coach Sean Payton, which Johnson denies.

“A couple of weeks ago I was on the radio show and I was all for sideline reporters being females,” Johnson said on his show “Takin’ It to the House” on Sirius Satellite Radio. “I was all for it, but if you are going to have things like this happen every single week, or every single season, with a Pam Oliver or whomever, that can’t get their story straight on the sideline. ... It never happened.

“That is why I was so upset about it on Monday when all the reporters rushed to me and asked me about it. I almost wanted to get on a plane, find where she is at, and sit her down, and spank her with a ruler, really, really hard, because it makes no sense.”

A Fox spokesman said the network stood behind Oliver’s story “100%.”

“All Pam Oliver did was do her job like she always does, and she does it well,” said Dan Bell, vice president of communications. “As far as his spanking comment, it’s so ridiculous it’s not even worth a response.”

-- Sam Farmer

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Minnesota Viking wide receiver Randy Moss was upgraded to probable for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants after participating in an entire practice for the first time in nearly two weeks.

Moss, who strained his right hamstring during a victory over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 17, made a token start last week against Tennessee but played only two snaps as a decoy.

Moss, who leads the Vikings with 394 yards receiving and eight touchdowns, is expected to play a larger role against the Giants but won’t be at full strength for at least two more weeks.

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Injuries again kept quarterback Steve McNair and running back Chris Brown of the Tennessee Titans out of practice, casting doubt on their availability Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both are listed as questionable on the official injury report.

McNair, who has a bruised chest, and Brown, who has turf toe, had been expected to participate on a limited basis after being held out of practice the previous two days.

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A day after skipping practice following his arrest on a drunken driving charge, rookie safety Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins was told to stay away from the team until Monday. He will be inactive for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, the fallout from being charged with driving under the influence and refusing a breathalyzer test after being stopped by a Virginia trooper early Thursday.

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Jacksonville running back Fred Taylor was upgraded to probable and should start at Houston despite a leg injury. He returned to practice after sitting out a day because of a strained quadriceps muscle. He was hurt in the second half of last week’s game at Indianapolis.... The Seattle Seahawks put punter Tom Rouen on injured reserve. Rouen injured his right hamstring during a 33-27 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 10 and has not played since. The Seahawks re-signed punter Donnie Jones to the active roster from the practice squad.

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The San Diego Chargers were able to lift the local TV blackout of Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders only after three businesses purchased approximately 3,000 tickets before Friday’s deadline.

The tickets will be distributed to police and fire departments.

NFL rules require all general admission tickets to be sold 72 hours before kickoff for the game to be broadcast locally. The Chargers received a 24-hour extension from the NFL Thursday.

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Larry Ellison, chief executive of Oracle Corp., said that he inquired about buying the San Francisco 49ers only to be told by the current owners -- Denise DeBartolo York and her husband, John York -- that the team wasn’t for sale.

Confirming media reports earlier this month, Ellison said he has shifted his football interests to the Los Angeles area, which hasn’t had a football team since the Raiders returned to Oakland and the Rams left for St. Louis a decade ago.

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Associated Press contributed to this report.