Woman makes history
DETROIT – Shannon Eastin used her left hand to tuck her pony tail under her cap after the national anthem and got ready for work.
She seemed to do her job, which ended by helping to separate St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions players after some shoving, pushing and shouting broke out following the final play.
Eastin became the first woman to be an official in an NFL regular-season game, working as the line judge in the Rams-Lions matchup Sunday.
“It’s a great milestone,” Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said after his team beat St. Louis 27-23. “But we didn’t think about it at all during the game.”
That’s probably just the way she – and the league – liked it.
Eastin is among the replacement officials hired by the league while the regular officials are locked out. Replacement officials are working games for the first time in 11 years.
The 42-year-old resident of Tempe, Ariz. has worked as a referee in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision games and has 16 years of officiating experience.
Locker injured
Tennessee quarterback Jake Locker says nobody ever told him not to try to tackle an opponent after a turnover, and he says hurting his left shoulder will not stop him in the future.
“I thought it was football,” Locker said.
Locker got knocked out of his first start in the NFL on Sunday after hurting his left shoulder tackling Patriots safety Patrick Chung at the end of a fumble return early in the fourth quarter, and the Titans wound up losing 34-13.
Locker said he feels good about being able to play at San Diego next week.
Jets honor Martin
Curtis Martin was decked out in a Jets green tie and shoes, looking sharp as ever on another big day for the Hall of Fame running back.
The Jets retired his No. 28 jersey at halftime of New York’s season-opening game against the Buffalo Bills in East Rutherford, N.J.
Martin, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month, joined three of the biggest names in franchise history – Joe Namath (No. 12), Don Maynard (13), who were both in attendance, and Joe Klecko (73) – as the only players to receive the honor.