The Brand with the Three Stripes

So far the NFL preseason has seen a number of highlights and disappointments. Clinton Portis suffered a separated shoulder when he tackled Kelwan Ratliff after he picked off a Mark Brunell pass. Portis was clearly angry after the game when interviewed by Andrea Kramer stating that the preseason was much too long, and was hazardous to player’s health and careers. Portis will be out for the entire preseason, and is still questionable for the regular season opener. Matt Leinart finally signed with the Arizona Cardinals that ended a two-week holdout. The former USC star was the last rookie to have held out, and even though head coach Dennis Green criticized him for turning down a more than generous offer for a 10th overall pick the team is pleased to put the holdout behind them and move forward. Reggie Bush also made headlines and received a fine. The NFL fined Bush for an equipment violation; Bush has signed an endorsement deal with Adidas, and he wore a pair of Adidas cleats in Saturday's victory over the Titans. The NFL has a deal with Nike and Reebok that only allows players to wear Nike or Reebok cleats on game day. Bush told reporters that Adidas will pay for the $50,000 fine, but there is no word whether or not he will continue to wear their cleats for preseason or regular season games.