By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 20, 2006

An Internet threat that said terrorist attacks were planned on seven NFL stadiums this weekend was determined by investigators to be "a hoax," the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday.

"The investigation has determined that this is a hoax," the two agencies said in a joint written statement. "The public should be reassured of their security as they continue to attend sporting events this weekend."

FBI agents yesterday questioned a 20-year-old Milwaukee man thought to be involved in the threat, which was made Oct. 12 on a Web site that links to multiple online conversations and cartoons. The man was released, but authorities left open the possibility that he could be charged with a crime.

A message on the Web site said the seven stadiums would be hit by bombs containing radiological material. The stadiums mentioned were in New York, Miami, Houston, Cleveland, Seattle, Atlanta and Oakland, Calif. The posting said the bombs would be delivered to the stadiums in trucks and that Osama bin Laden later would claim responsibility.

The Associated Press reported that the man in Milwaukee told the FBI he posted the threat as part of a writing duel with a man in Brownsville, Tex., to see who could post the scariest threat.

The Chicago Bears placed safety Mike Brown on the injured reserve list, ending his season.

Brown underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his foot. He was injured in Monday night's comeback victory at Arizona.

The veteran is one of the Bears' top players and leaders, and Coach Lovie Smith acknowledged Wednesday that the loss was a severe blow to his unbeaten team. The Bears have some time to pick a replacement, given that they're on their bye week. Possibilities include Todd Johnson, who replaced Brown on Monday, and Chris Harris, who was unavailable for the Arizona game because of a quadriceps injury. . . .

Seldom-used cornerback Reggie Howard left the Carolina Panthers for what the team said were personal reasons. Panthers officials said they had received a roster exemption to replace Howard, a former starter stuck this season behind Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas and top reserve Richard Marshall. . . .

San Diego Chargers defensive end Igor Olshansky will be out three to four weeks after undergoing knee surgery Wednesday. . . . Ed Hartwell is scheduled to return to the Atlanta Falcons' lineup this weekend at middle linebacker. Hartwell, who is coming off knee surgery, will make his season debut. . . .

The two teams involved in the most acrimonious dealings of the offseason square off this weekend in Seattle. The Seahawks are scheduled to host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The two clubs were involved in a bitter offseason tussle over free agent contracts.

The Vikings signed Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson away from the Seahawks. The Seahawks had used their transition player tag on Hutchinson, enabling them to retain him by matching any contract offer he might receive from another club in free agency. But the Vikings used a contract containing a provision the Seahawks couldn't afford to match, known as a "poison pill," to land Hutchinson. Hutchinson's seven-year, $49 million contract would have become fully guaranteed if he wasn't the highest-paid offensive lineman on his team, and in Seattle he would have been making less than left tackle Walter Jones.

The Seahawks retaliated by using a poison pill to sign wide receiver Nate Burleson, a restricted free agent, away from the Vikings. Paul Tagliabue, then the NFL commissioner, and owners of other teams denounced the tactics and vowed to change the rules governing such transactions. But the league and the NFL Players Association have been unable to reach an agreement on a rule to eliminate or limit such tactics.