Now that their receiving corps have been upgraded with the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, the Niners turned their attention to improving the ground game.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers have agreed to terms with running back Brandon Jacobs.

Financial terms aren’t yet known, though it’s likely a short-term pact worth near the veterans minimum.

The former Big Blue bruiser figures to take over as Frank Gore’s primary backup, and should gobble up goal-line and short-yardage carries in San Fran.

There was talk that Jacobs could return to the Giants — or even join the crosstown rival Jets — but it became obvious his time in the Big Apple had run out, so he decided to head west.

This is another indication that the 49ers will remain a run-first team, using Gore, Jacobs, and Kendall Hunter to open up the passing lanes for Alex Smith, who’ll then look toward his two new toys on the outside — and, of course, tight end Vernon Davis down the seams.

Be sure to check out other great articles at Helmet2Helmet.net.

Terrell Owens figures he’s still good enough to play in the NFL at the age of 38 and wants to prove it. But in reality, it’s not his ego that needs to be padded, it’s his bankbook. Owens is basically broke and looking for a decent job. He’s reportedly blown an $80 million fortune due to his flamboyant lifestyle and bad business decisions.

But according to Bob LaMonte, who’s a player agent and an educator at New York University, Owens situation is far from unique. LaMonte said 78 per cent of former pro athletes find themselves, either unemployed, divorced or broke within two years of retiring and don’t realize how difficult their lifestyle is. Most of them don’t blow through $80 million though.

Owens showed up in Fort Worth, Texas on Feb. 8 and was introduced as a part owner and member of the Allen Wranglers, who belong to the Indoor Football League. Drew Pearson, a former receiver with the Dallas Cowboys is also one of the owners. Owens is suiting up for the team though because he needs the money and wants to work his way back to the NFL. He figures if all goes well with the Wranglers he’ll be able to make about $500,000, play his way back to the NFL, and earn back some of the money he’s blown.

He’s still got a long way to go if the Wranglers are going to make any money to make his ownership venture a profitable one. There were only about 700 fans at the game on Feb. 8, but that could change for the better once Owens starts to play regularly. So far in his career he hasn’t had much of a problem drawing crowds and attention to himself, sometimes for all the wrong reasons though.

Love him or hate him it’s hard to argue against his skill as a football player. Owens is deservedly considered one of the best receivers to ever play in the NFL. He’s played in six Pro Bowls and his 15,934 receiving yards are the second most in league history. He’s also tied for second in history for receiving touchdowns with 153 and his 1,078 catches are good enough for sixth on the all-time list.

However, he’s always had the habit of rubbing many people the wrong way and blaming others for his woes. He blamed his agent Drew Rosenhaus for some of his poor financial investments, especially in real estate when the American housing market collapsed, and said some people basically just stole from him. But while he may have a point there, Owens he can only blame himself for some of the messes he’s gotten into.

For instance, Owens has fathered children with four different women over the years and pays out thousands of dollars each month in support. He said he also pays about $62,000 a month for several properties while his own house in Georgia is now in foreclosure. Owens said he’s filed papers in court to reduce his child support payments to the four women and has claimed he doesn’t have any assets and has no income.

Owens admits that he once held the world in the palm of his hands, but doesn’t have anything now. He’s trying to recapture the past and is doing it the only way he knows how, which is by playing football. It’s hard to say if he’ll be successful or if he’ll just end up being an empty shell of himself. He said he hasn’t retired from the NFL and feels he’s in good enough shape to play at least two more years. He also realizes he may not be in control of his own destiny by saying he doesn’t know why he’s in his current situation other than God works in mysterious ways.

There was a lot of bad blood between the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints going in to the NFC divisional round of this year’s playoffs. These two former NFC West rivals both had a lot to prove.

The Saints wanted to prove they could leave the comforts of home and get a victory in the postseason, something they have failed to do as a franchise. The 49ers had to prove that they were as good as their record, they were not frauds, and they did not want to be one and done after a resurgent season.

The pace for the game was set early in this instant classic. After winning the coin toss the 49ers elected to have their league’s best defense come out to represent their team first.

The Saints had little problem moving the ball down the field on their opening drive until on a 2nd & goal the natural grass surface caused Darren Sproles to lose his footing running off right tackle when it looked like he was going to punch it in. Then there was a jarring hit on Saints pro bowl TE Jimmy Graham by 49ers S Donte Whitner that forced the games first turnover, [...]

Be sure to check out other great articles at The Penalty Flag.

The San Francisco 49ers have had a pretty decent start to their season: they beat the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks and dropped a game to the Dallas Cowboys to set their NFC West-leading 2-1 record. They have their sights set high on a different front too though: a few days ago they unveiled plans to build a new stadium near their Santa Clara training facility. Whether there will be enough funds for the project and where those funds will come from is not currently known, but the plans were certainly not shy.

The new stadium, meant to be as fan friendly a facility as possible, will include 165 luxury suites as well as a 5-story photograph of ‘The Catch”. The 49ers even went as far as to open a preview center – at the staggering cost of $2.5 million – where they could present their plans for the new stadium to prospective suite, season ticket and club seat holders. The new stadium would be erected next to the Great America theme park and it would feature 68,500 seats. The plans were approved in 2010 by the Santa Clara voters. Under an agreement with the city, the hotels in the vicinity and the city itself would contribute $114 million. The only problem is that the project would cost a mind-boggling $937 million compared to which the city’s contribution is mere rake rebate. Where the rest of the funds will come from is yet unclear. The Santa Clara theme park has opposed the 49ers’ plans, however Jed York’s family has managed to team up with a local real estate company to buy the theme park and thus to get at least that hurdle out of the way.

According to Jed York, the 49ers are 100% focused on the project and they hope to begin construction in 2013.

By Matt Coppa for Style + Tech For Men

Just because you’re watching a four-hour rendition of The Nutcracker with your wife’s theater club doesn’t mean you should miss a second of NFL action. If you’re focused on making sure your fantasy team has a shot to finish in the money -- or if you just want the latest info on your real-life hometown team -- stay yards ahead of the next guy with the latest apps that put this season’s biggest sport in the palm of your hand.

Style and Tech for Men spoke to Appolicious sports app reviewer David Lister for the scoop on the hardest-hitting NFL apps:

1. Pro Football Live І Free

This app should be on top of your holiday hit-list! The game-tracking feature charts each play of every game with scores, stats and injury reports that are updated continuously. Downloadable offline browsing allows you to read NFL articles even when you have no 3G or Wi-Fi available -- a feature unavailable in most other football apps.

Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, J2ME, BlackBerry, WAP
Get it: Plusmo.com

2. Sportacular І Free

This is one of Lister’s favorites for a simple reason: “It’s stable. You can filter news sources and it has up-to-the-minute stats, standings and scores without any glitches,” he says. “It offers a clean and easy-to-use interface with as much information as possible.” Since it’s a general sports app, you can also use it to track every sport from the NFL to the LPGA.

Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad
Get it: CitizenSportsInc.com

3. CBS Sports Pro Football І Free

Another general sports app, this has a CBSSportsLine.com fantasy function that lets you set lineups, add/drop players and track their stats. It also has video features, including NFL game-day highlights, previews and fantasy updates with CBS sports experts.

Platforms: iPhone, iPod Touch
Get it: CBSSports.com

4. NFL Sunday Ticket/Direct TV to Go І $50 + Sunday Ticket Fee

On the road and can’t find your team on the tube at your Holiday Inn? If you already subscribe to the DIRECTV Sunday Ticket package, this app allows users to watch every live game through streams on their mobile devices. Sunday Ticket also has on-demand video highlights. You don’t pay for the app itself, but the To Go package costs $50 in addition to the Sunday Ticket price. (Yeah, it’s pricey, but if you’re jonesing for your home team it’s worth every penny.)

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android (select), BlackBerry, Windows Mobile devices, Palm Pre
Get it: DIRECTV.com

5. Fantasy Football Monster ’10 І $4.99

If you have multiple fantasy teams on different league sites, then you’ll want this monster app to control them all. It lets you easily manage multiple teams on Yahoo or ESPN by adding or dropping players, automatically adjusting your lineup, and checking on injury reports and live scores. “I love that this works with multiple sites and it makes it easier to edit your team and search for players,” says Lister.

Platorm: iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
Get it: FantasyMonsterApp.com

6. Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet ’10 І $1.99

If you’ve had enough of finishing last in your league, then it’s time to pick up the best-selling fantasy football app of the past two years. On draft day, talent rankings will offer you a list of the best players to select for your league’s score system.

Platforms: iPhone, iPad
Get it: 290Design.com

7. My Fantasy Teams І Free

If your fantasy league is with Yahoo, then it’s time to jump to the major leagues! “Yahoo!’s official fantasy app is terrible. It’s really stripped-down and doesn’t have a lot of features,” says Lister. He recommends My Fantasy Teams for Yahoo! leaguers which allows users to do everything they can do on the actual site -- except draft players.

Platforms: iPhone, BlackBerry
Get it: MyFantasyTeamsApp.com

8. NFL Pro Tweets І Free

Ochocinco said what? Find out which player is talking trash about their upcoming matchups -- and who has had a few too many drinks the night after the game. This official app of the NFLPA gives you organized access to every player’s tweets.

Platforms: iPhone, Android
Get it: NFLPlayers.com

9. Madden ’11 І $7.99

Who cares if your significant other is watching Real Housewives on the TV with your game console? You can still play the most popular NFL video game ever with this mobile version of Madden. “It’s by far the best football app on the iPhone and best sports game overall,” says Lister. The game’s stunning graphics, iPhone-specific controls and realistic game play are what make this one his favorite. You can even go multiplayer via Bluetooth and get roster updates for free.

Platform: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Get it: EAMobile.com

10. LED Football Player vs. Player І $2.99

Back in the day, the power of the NFL was already in a beloved handheld device. Instead of high-def action with realistic players, however, it featured red dots that you had to maneuver around other red dots. Ah, the good old days! Try this throwback replica of the Mattel Classic Football game on your iPad. Here’s the best part: You won’t have to fight your younger brother for it. Kids … what do they know?

Platform: iPad
Get it: LEDFootball.com

The best thing about these apps? They’re either free or very reasonably priced. Try them out for yourself and see which will enhance your enjoyment of the game the most. Or you could always buy a football … just sayin’.

Matt Coppa is the entertainment director of Star Magazine and a freelance web writer who covers sports, entertainment, tech and lifestyle. He was formerly a senior editor at a number of publications, including Stuff, Men's Fitness and Life & Style Weekly.

By Jon Chase for Style + Tech For Men

A party (impromptu gathering of friends, cousin’s shotgun wedding, dinner party gone awry, whatever) isn’t a party without good tunes. That means someone has to step up behind the ones and twos and deejay the hell out of the thing. And today, that’s easier than ever before.

Back in the day, deejays had to lug around crates of bulky, heavy equipment and hundreds of records. For those born after 1980, records are those bulky vinyl discs played on turntables. They might sound better than CDs or MP3s, but they are not very portable. Now music is all digitized. (ITunes killed the audiophile, baby -- for better or worse.) And while analog still has its place for sure, it’s rarely in the deejay booth.

To get a handle on what a modern turntablist needs to get started, we rang up hip-hop legend Kay Gee, deejay of Naughty By Nature. In the two decades since NBN debuted -- and won the first Grammy ever for Best Rap Album in 1992 -- the deejay’s lot has been completely revolutionized. And poignantly, KG confirmed the point, having just come off a month-long globetrotting tour to promote the upcoming release of Naughty’s 20th anniversary album, Anthem, Inc.

“Nothing against analog, because that’s where it started, but digital is it,” says KG. “You gotta embrace technology. I used to have to carry my crates of vinyl, turntables, mixer and all on the road. Now I just carry my laptop.”

So what do you need to become an aspiring deejay? KG walks us through his setup and provides advice on what newbies should look for:

Get a Pair of Cans
The most important tool a deejay has -- besides musical taste -- is his or her ears, and so quality headphones (aka “cans”), are a must. KG recommends Sony’s classic MDR7506 studio monitors ($130): “There are other headphones out there, but I love these. They fold up and are durable and strong.” Which is a good point: Headphones get beat up easily. So whatever you opt for, make sure they are well-built. Comfort is also a major consideration. If you are going to wear headphones for hours on end, make sure they sit over and outside your ears; the larger the cup size, the better. Similarly, a soft fabric will minimize the pressure on your ears and head.

Lay out for a Laptop
No surprise, but the laptop is the key ingredient in any music setup today. You’ll use it to rip and store your tunes and create sounds, beats, songs and playlists. When you’re performing, it’s the brain behind all the equipment in a deejay booth. KG uses a 15-inch MacBook Pro (starting at $1,800). They’re extremely durable, they’re relatively lightweight (at 5.6 pounds) and thin (less than 1 inch), they pack a 500 GB drive for a good amount of storage, and they have a solid seven-hour battery life.

As we all know, when laptops aren’t being dropped, they’re being swiped, so you’ll also want to carry a backup of your hard drive. But only rely on the laptop’s internal storage for performances. “I like to have all my music inside my computer because the fewer hookups you have, the fewer problems you can run,” explains the deejay.

Connect It All Together
Let us dispel any thoughts you have of just slapping together a playlist and plugging your laptop into speakers. That’s not deejaying; that’s babysitting. We’re talking deejaying here.

Software: While you might have the benefit of instant access to your entire music collection through your laptop, the simplicity of the old analog days -- using a mixer to switch between two turntables -- is gone. In order to mix between songs, beat match and scratch, or perform any other deejay tricks, you’ll need DVS (Digital Vinyl System) software -- click here for more info.

There are a bunch of programs you could try, but the standard among pros is Serato Scratch Live. “It’s become the digital crate,” says KG. “And hey, it’s free!”

Turntables: KG recommends the Numark TTX ($400 each), a midrange direct-drive unit with pitch control, replaceable S or straight tone-arm, a BPM meter and a host of other deejay-centric features. (The TTXUSB has a built-in USB port so you can go completely digital directly to your laptop.)

Control Vinyl: Control Vinyl is a record with a time code engraved in it (instead of a song) to use with a pair of turntables. The idea is that when you play the record, it sends a signal to your laptop that syncs the turntable with whatever song you’ve selected. Manipulate the record faster or slower, or scratch, and your laptop does that to whatever song is selected.

Interface Box: In order to make all this work together, a DVS-compatible interface, mixer or USB controller is a must. While KG opts for the pro-level Rane TTM 57SL, it costs about $2,000 and frankly is more than a newbie can handle. So opt for a stripped-down interface box instead, like the Rane SL2 ($499). Plug your turntables or CD players in to the box and the computer, and you’re up and running, controlling music on your laptop using your turntables.

Mixer/Fader: Finally, you’ll also want a mixer/fader to switch between tunes and adjust the EQs. We like the Numark M1USB Scratch Mixer ($99), which is simple enough for a beginner, but solid enough for a pro.

Now all that’s left is a few hundred hours of practice -- and an audience willing to listen.

Warning: If you have no musical taste, please don’t deejay. There’s already enough pollution in the air.

Jon Chase has been writing about tech since the Web was new, and ripping CDs was a scandal. His work has appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, National Geographic Adventure, Cargo and FHM, as well as on PopSci.com.

Peyton Manning has signed a new deal with the Indianapolis Colts believed to be for five years and reportedly worth $90 million.

Although Manning has yet to be cleared to play after offseason surgery, the deal should ensure he at least arrives in camp on time.

Manning will not practice with the team because he is continuing to rehabilitate from the neck surgery he had in May. He had neck surgery in March of 2010 as well.

Manning will be put on the physically unable to perform list, preventing him from practicing with the team until he is removed from the list but he is eligible be removed from the list at any time and return to practice through the preseason.

Manning has completed 64.9 percent of his passes, thrown for close to 55,000 yards and has 399 touchdowns. He has led the Colts to the playoffs 12 times and appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them.

During his 14-year career Manning has started all 227 regular-season and playoff games for the Colts and he is expected to be ready to start the regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.

By Tim Jarvis for Style + Tech For Men

When the summer starts heating things up, you know it’s time to chill with a cold brewski. But there are so many new beers out there that it’s tough to know which ones you should to try. So, STM got Matt Simpson, owner of TheBeerExpert.com, to rate the finest suds under the sun.

AleSmith Evil Dead Red
This naughty tipple is a fragrant, hoppy beer with virtually no bitterness, so it’s smooth and easy to drink. It pairs especially well with fish ’n’ chips and fried chicken.

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 6.7 percent

Brewed By: The AleSmith Brewing Company; San Diego, Calif.

Link: AleSmith.com

Guinness
Contrary to popular belief, this is one of the lighter beers on the market, serving up just 125 calories and 9.8 grams of carbs in an 11.2-ounce bottle. But it’s still packed with flavor. Good food pairings include grilled sausages and roast beef sandwiches.

ABV: 4.1 percent

Brewed By: The Guinness Brewery; St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland

Link: Guinness.com

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere
This wonderful Belgian-style farmhouse ale is made with proprietary yeasts that produce a complex, refreshing and slightly tart beer that will compliment sharp cheeses and fresh bread.

ABV: 4.5 percent

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery; Ann Arbor, Mich.

Link: JollyPumpkin.com

Victory Prima Pils
Although this classically brewed German-style pilsner has a good malty flavor, it still maintains a bitter hoppy balance. It should be enjoyed with soft pretzels, chicken, ham and fish.

ABV: 5.3 percent

Brewed By: The Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Penn.

Link: VictoryBeer.com

Allagash White
This fruity Belgian-style white beer (witbier) is brewed with wheat and is flavored with coriander and orange peel. Serve it with salads, light fish and chicken dishes.

ABV: 5 percent

Brewed By: The Allagash Brewing Company; Portland, Maine

Link: Allagash.com

New Belgium La Folie
With notes of cherry and oak, this wood-conditioned sour brown ale has a thirst-quenching tartness that’s perfect for hotter days. It’s best enjoyed with steaks and sharp cheeses.

ABV: 6 percent

Brewed By: The New Belgium Brewing Company; Fort Collins, Colo.

Link: NewBelgium.com

Gumballhead Three Flyods
This relatively light-bodied American wheat ale with aromas of lemon and grapefruit will definitely help juice up your seasonal summer platter.

Dogfish Head Festina Peche
An American interpretation of a classic Berliner Weisse, this wheat beer is fermented with peaches and has a refreshingly tart finish. Serve it as an aperitif or pair it with light creamy cheeses, picnic fare and grilled vegetables.

ABV: 4.5 percent

Brewed By: The Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Milton, Del.

Link: Dogfish.com

Pilsner Urquell
This time-tested original Czech pilsner has been satisfying thirsty drinkers since the mid-1800s. Our expert recommends sipping it out of the can rather than the bottle: It delivers a sweet, malty taste with a dry, earthy and slightly bitter finish. Pair it with light salads, pork, turkey, creamy cheeses and fresh bread.

ABV: 4.4 percent

Brewed By: The Pilsner Urquell Brewery; Plzen-Vychodni Predmesti, Czech Republic

Link: PilsnerUrquell.com

Terrapin Golden Ale
This smooth and very drinkable cream ale is similar in many ways to a classic German larger. It matches up perfectly with corn on the cob, grilled chicken and fish dishes.

ABV: 5.3 percent

Brewed By: The Terrapin Beer Co.; Athens, Ga.

Link: TerrapinBeer.com

Tim Jarvis Tim Jarvis is a freelance health, technology and entertainment writer who contributes to O, The Oprah Magazine and the men’s grooming and lifestyle site Men’s Life Today. He is also currently working on a book about the mysteries of quantum mechanics.