All John Brown wanted to do was go to lunch. But Larry Fitzgerald, making an appearance in a near-empty locker room, was surrounded by media, and he was trying not to do the interview session alone. So he grabbed Brown's backpack -- Smokey kept calling it his "bookbag" -- and took it. Brown wasn't allowed to talk while in concussion protocol, but Fitz wouldn't give up the bag. So there Fitz sat in his locker, Brown's backpack secure between his legs, while Brown sat on the outside of the scrum quietly waiting.
At one point, Brown, tired of waiting, tried to sneak on the floor through some media legs to grab the backpack. Fitz saw it coming, and wouldn't let him take it -- all while continuing to answer questions. Smokey could only sit, head in hand, waiting like a kid who is stuck in the department store while mom is shopping.
Can't blame Fitz for being in a playful mood after Friday's big news.
On to football stuff, the first of which includes an irritated Bruce Arians:
-- Arians' problem is with rookies and effort, and he made it very, very clear after Thursday's practice. "Do not like where some young guys' heads are as far as the speed of the game for the allotted time practice is," Arians said. "They won't make our ballclub at the level they are going at, so we have had some conversations."
Arians didn't name names. And he made clear exactly what he meant: "They are loafing, especially on special teams, where they are going to make the team," Arians said. "Turn that tape on, they ain't going fast enough to make this team."
"You'll either be flipping burgers or bagging groceries or you might be here," Arians added. "That's your choice, in about three weeks. Because if you practice like you did, you ain't getting in the (first preseason) game next Friday night."
-- DT Ed Stinson (calf) is returning to practice. Center Taylor Boggs (calf) got hurt Thursday and is out for now. No other injury changes.
-- Rookie CB Brandon Williams is the starter right now, Arians said. "There ain't nobody else out there challenging him right now."
