Former Dolphins LB Crowder abruptly announces retirement

MIAMI -- The NFL will be a bit quieter this season: Channing Crowder says he's retiring.

Crowder, one of the league's most notorious trash-talkers, said Tuesday he has decided to call it a career less than two weeks after being cut by the Miami Dolphins. The veteran linebacker made the announcement on WQAM-AM, where he has been a talk-show host.

"I know I can still play football," said Crowder, 27. "But I decided to hang it up. Now I'm not worried about icing my knees anymore or getting stingers or concussions. I did it long enough. I played football since I was 9 years old."

That included six NFL seasons, all in Miami, where Crowder developed a reputation as a jester and motormouth. For that reason, he conceded, his announcement might be met with skepticism.

"I'm not making a comeback," he said. "If somebody tells me I don't have to go through training camp and I can come in Week 1 and play -- but I don't see it."

After being released by the Dolphins, Crowder said, he tried out with the New England Patriots.

"It was just so weird," he said. "I went to their practice facility to work out, and I ran over the red dummies instead of the orange ones. I was so used to Miami, and I loved Miami so much."

Crowder said several other teams also expressed an interest in signing him, but he and his wife are expecting a baby, and he wants to remain in South Florida.

"I don't want to be jumping from team to team," he said. "Financially, we're stable. It's not there. I don't want to go."

Crowder's agent, Joel Segal, said he doesn't anticipate a change of heart for his client.

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"I think Channing has made a permanent decision to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting," Segal said. "He's a passionate guy. He loves football. He loved playing for Dolphins. Once that chapter ended, I think he's ready to move on."

Crowder played at the University of Florida before being drafted by the Dolphins in the third round in 2005. He was a starter for Miami since his rookie season, winning praise for his leadership and toughness while drawing criticism for his failure to make more big plays.

The day after they released Crowder, the Dolphins signed veteran Kevin Burnett as a replacement at inside linebacker.

Last season, Crowder made 33 tackles in 11 games. He missed five games with injuries.

After Crowder was released, Dolphins players said they would miss his yakking, which always kept the locker room loose. He famously feuded with New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.

"A lot of teams we played either hated me or loved me," Crowder said. "You love the stuff I talked, or you hated it because I was talking it to you. But I have friends around the league that enjoyed it. It got me going when I played."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Dolphins' Crowder backtracks from college jersey comments

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Crowder: Strange offseason will 'mess up integrity of the game'

Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder believes football fans are in for a different brand of football once the lockout ends -- at least out of the gate.

"It’s going to be real simple football," Crowder told the South Florida Sun Sentinel last week. "It’s going to mess up the integrity of the game because we’re used to having those OTAs, minicamps, offseason workouts ... it’s hurting the NFL now."

Crowder said the Dolphins are "behind the ball" due to the work stoppage, and while veterans understand how to keep in shape during this unusual offseason, younger players and rookies are in for a challenge once play begins.

"Mike Pouncey, he doesn’t know what the offense is going to do. Brain Daboll, he wants to get with his offense and get Chad Henne and those guys ready. And we’re already behind the ball on a regular NFL season," Crowder says. "So the lockout is already hurting ... (when) we could be getting better."

About 20 Dolphins gathered last week for player-only workouts at TEST Football Academy at Florida Atlantic University, which Crowder says illustrates how much his teammates "want to work," adding that it costs the players money to practice.

"This is not free -- they’re not doing it for free. It’s an academy, so they’re charging us money to come out here and charging us (for) any supplements you want to get, protein shakes, you have to pay for anything," Crowder said. "So we’re doing this willingly to prepare for an NFL season and the owners won’t let us do it in our regular capacity so we have to do supplement it in some way."

Dolphins wideout Brian Hartline echoed Crowder's words, telling The Palm Beach Post that installing a new offense during a lockout is a challenge.

"We’ll probably need a little extra time," Hartline said. "We can function on the level where the fan, and the average eye, might not understand. But the comfort in the huddle, and ... being on the exact same page, is going to take a little longer time."

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Report: Dolphins' Hartline has surgery; Marshall, Crowder back

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline was absent Wednesday as the team began preparations for this weekend's game against the New York Jets.

Hartline was sidelined when he hurt a finger during last Sunday's 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Miami Herald reported that Hartline underwent surgery on his injured hand Tuesday. A return this season hasn't been ruled out for the second-year Ohio State product, a source told the newspaper.

Hartline has been a favorite target of Miami quarterbacks in recent weeks, having one catch of at least 24 yards in six consecutive games before Sunday.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall and linebacker Channing Crowder took part in practice Wednesday. Marshall missed the past two games with a right hamstring injury, and Crowder missed the Browns game with a knee injury.

The Dolphins also placed cornerback Al Harris on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury, ending his 13th NFL season.

Harris joined the Dolphins last month after being released by the Green Bay Packers. Trying to come back from a major left knee injury last November, he played in three games off the bench for Miami.

To replace Harris on the roster, the Dolphins signed offensive lineman Ray Feinga.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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NFL investigating spitting claim by Dolphins' Crowder

The NFL is investigating a complaint by the Miami Dolphins that Baltimore Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain spat in the face of linebacker Channing Crowder, according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.

McClain denied spitting intentionally, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh has absolved his player of any wrongdoing. But a video replay from WFOR-TV in Miami appeared to confirm the incident, which Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said he has verified.

"I have enough evidence," Sparano said. "It's upsetting to me."

Crowder didn't talk to reporters Monday, one day after a disappointing 26-10 loss at Baltimore dropped the inconsistent Dolphins to 4-4. McClain conceded saliva flew, but only accidentally.

"He said stuff to me I didn't want to hear. I said stuff he didn't want to hear," McClain said. "Spit came out of my mouth when I said something to the dude, and that was it. It wasn't on purpose. I'm not that kind of player."

The Dolphins weren't buying that explanation. Linebacker Karlos Dansby said McClain, a Pro Bowl fullback, should be suspended for the rest of the season.

"As a man, you spit in somebody's face, you crossed the line," Dansby said. "Where I'm from, that'll get you killed, straight up. That's around the world, period."

Crowder is widely considered one of the league's foremost trash-talkers, so it was no surprise to see him and McClain facemask to facemask trading taunts during a timeout, with an official trying to separate them.

The video shows the conversation ending when McClain rears his head back before thrusting it forward.

"That's just me talking," McClain said. "You can't see spit coming out of my mouth or anything."

Crowder then waves his left hand in front of his face, as if trying to intercept the spittle, before the players are separated.

Harbaugh found McClain innocent.

"I talked to Le'Ron," Harbaugh said. "I've seen the videotape of it. It didn't happen. I don't believe for one second it happened."

That's for the league to decide, Sparano said.

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"There are a lot of things that go on in this game from a trash-talking standpoint," Sparano said. "I'm standing there on the sideline yesterday, and I had a player talk trash to me from the other team, and I didn't say one word to the guy. That being said, that's part of the game. I get it. Whatever floats your boat. I don't think it's part of the game, but to some of them, that's what gets them going.

"But this whole deal here about spitting in somebody's face -- nowhere in this game do I see any place for that."

After the game, Crowder was so upset he mixed up his historical figures, complaining the officials who missed the spit had eyesight comparable to Stevie Wonder and Anne Frank. When reporters confused by the reference to Frank further queried Crowder, it became clear he meant Helen Keller instead.

"Is that the blind girl?" Crowder said. "Helen Keller? I don't know. ... I'm mad right now. I'm not as swift as I usually am."

None of Crowder's teammates saw the incident, either. Dansby quickly became aware of it and said his linebacking partner deserves credit for his restrained response.

"He had to weigh his options," Dansby said. "He asked me on the sideline, `Should I go whup him?' I'm like, `Yeah, go whup him.' Then I was like, 'Man, I need you. If you do it, you're going to hurt your team.' So he had to pull back."

Ironically, in the days leading up to the game, Crowder praised McClain as one of the league's best fullbacks. But Crowder also called Ravens receiver Derrick Mason old, and after the game, Mason fired back at Crowder.

"He was getting knocked down, getting pushed out of the way," Mason said. "The guy is horrible."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Dolphins' Crowder accuses Ravens' McClain of spitting incident

The Ravens got the best of the Dolphins on Sunday, but it was the actions of a Baltimore offensive player that had Miami linebacker Channing Crowder fuming afterward.

Speaking to reporters in the wake of a 26-10 loss at M&T Bank Stadium, Crowder expressed extreme anger toward Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain.

“Le’Ron McClain spit in my face,” Crowder told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "That’s some real (expletive), so if you talk to him tell him he’s a (expletive). If he ever comes to Miami, he’s got to see me.”

McClain denied the charge after the game, but Dolphins defensive end Kendall Langford backed up Crowder's claim.

“(The officials) said they didn’t see it,” Crowder told the Sun-Sentinel. “Then they said something about they let Karlos Dansby get away with a facemask before. Who the (expletive) cares? I just got spit in my face. I don’t give a damn about Karlos pulling somebody’s facemask.

Crowder, who also claimed that McClain was cutting him low on blocks, went on.

“That’s the first time anybody spit in my face in my life,” he said. “That’s like the worst thing you can do to a man as another man, spit in somebody’s face. Why would you do that? Why would you even try to?"

It's possible that McClain could face a fine or even suspension if game tapes reveal Crowder's accusations to be true.

Dansby said that if McClain did act improperly, the NFL “should suspend him. There’s no place for that in this game.”

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