Now that the writers are officially back (congrats, and welcome) life can finally get back to normal. We can stop reading books again, get back to eating our dinners from a TV tray and start petitioning networks not to cancel one of the best shows currently running.

Of course we’re talking about Friday Night Lights here. Who isn’t? Thanks to some negative off the cuff comments from NBC exec Ben Silverman and the news that last Friday’s episode represented the last the cast and crew were able to complete prior to the writer’s strike and you have a lot of people realizing all at once that they may have seen the last of the Taylors, Riggins, Garrity, et al.

And, as much as I want to see it continue, I’m not entirely convinced the quick death isn’t the best available fate. That’s how much I like the show, but that wasn’t always the case.

While there were a number of noteworthy critics lauding Friday Night Lights from the pilot episode, I gave the show a rather tepid but hopeful review after one episode. While relying too heavily on the precedents set by the book and the movie, I wrote the following:

“No longer set in 1988, the school is now the fictionalized Dillon. The players, while drawing heavily on their real-life models, aren’t real either. The super-quick cuts and Explosions in the Sky soundtrack are carried over from the film, but at this point the topic isn’t new…It’s become hyper-realistic, so bizarrely true that we don’t even notice anymore.”

I was wrong. The characters have revealed a depth that puts any reality show star to shame, the very people who are supposed to be real, relatable. Tim Riggins, in the 30-plus episodes we’ve seen thus far, has easily become the most compelling character on television, drinking pitchers before practice, yearning desperately for the girl who has made the breaks he’s never been able to catch. (And his hair reminds women of Jesus, so there’s that.)

Up against American Idol for most of its first season, FNL struggled for viewers. Websites started sprouting up in support of the show and, after some deliberation, NBC renewed it for a second season. On Friday nights.

As many predicted, the crappy time slot put the show in an almost impossible position. It’s tough to draw viewers on a night when there aren’t any and even the critical approval of sports-culture figureheads like Bill Simmons and Chuck Klosterman can’t replace the ad revenue that the show apparently cannot deliver. We’re not making art here, we’re pushing product and if the latter coincides with the former all the better. If not? There’s always My Dad is Better than Your Dad.

Which brings us to the very real possibility that last week’s mid-season ending was the ending. As fans of the show we’ve already been granted a death row reprieve once, the odds for a second in showbiz are about as long as Tim Street impregnating a beautiful and understanding waitress.

If that’s the case, however, I am prepared to let the show go. Cruelly cutting the cord, considering the circumstances behind it and the public support against it, would only serve to make the show even more memorable.

This isn’t a particularly profound or unique thought. You could have your pick of clichés to sum it up: better to burn out than fade way, if you love something set it free, always leave ‘em wanting more, etc. That last one is said to be the first rule of showbiz but the real rule is money, represented by eyes on TV screens, talks and, while everyone I know (and everyone you probably know if you’re reading this) loves the show, we apparently don’t know enough people.

At this point NBC isn’t saying whether the show will continue or not and there have been rumors that, should the show be canceled, ESPN might be interested in picking it up. Selfishly, I’d be delighted with more episodes but the “echoes in eternity” side of me knows it would be better if it ended right now.

What if we never know whether or not Tim Riggins escaped the painful precedent set by the male figures in his life? What if we never know whether or not Jason Street has his child and ultimately finds a replacement for the shine of Friday night lights? What if we never see Smash in a college uniform? So what?

As with all good art, the questions themselves are nearly destined to be more interesting than the answers. Try to recall the most memorable ending you’ve ever seen. Was it from your favorite movie or book or show? Did it answer every question or confirm your belief in the work? Or was it just an ending? Not necessarily life affirming but simply life, abrupt, unresolved endings and all?

For a show praised for its realism, there may not be a better ending than the one we’re looking at right now. What might be the final episode of Friday Night Lights ended last week with Street making an earnest appeal to his girlfriend to keep their child. His final words were these:

“So give it a chance.”

If those are the final words for Friday Night Lights as a whole, well, could you write a better ending?

Interested in fighting for that inch chance? Petitions are here, here and here. Personally, I just went out and bought the DVD of the first season—my first ever television series purchase—as someone said that would help. I think I’ll watch that now.

Approximately eight seconds into the 133rd Kentucky Derby, I realized why this event is one of the best in all of sport. It's not the fancy hats or the bespoke suits or the silver cups. It's something much more primal than that. After the week-long coverage and the hour-long made-for-TV build up, you're left with a two minute race. It's a physical competition as old as man, something that happens naturally in backyards and playgrounds the world over. Line them up and let's see who is the fastest.

In the biggest such race in America, that horse was Street Sense. His impressive rally from 19 horses back to win snapped a number of Derby streaks:

• First Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner to win the Derby.
• First 2-year-old champion to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.
• First horse to win the Derby with two or fewer prep races since Sunny's Halo in 1983.
• First horse to win from the seven slot since Pleasant Colony in 1981.
• First Derby win for jockey Calvin Borel.

But there was one more thing that rarely happens at the Derby: the chalk came home. Street Sense was the longest favorite ever to win the Derby, but he was still the favorite. Hard Spun, the fourth choice by the time the race went off, held on to place after leading the field for much of the race. The morning line favorite and post time second choice, Curlin, came in to show. The $2 trifecta paid $440, the lowest total since 2000.

The reason the Derby is such a great, and difficult, race to handicap is because anything can happen. We see it almost every year. A lightly regarded horses hits the board (Bluegrass Cat, 2006) or even wins the whole thing (Giacomo, 2005). It's almost impossible to predict.

This year, however, the Run for the Roses was painfully logical. If not for Hard Spun's polarizing workout earlier in the week, this race could have finished 1-2-3 on the toteboard. Does this mean the race was in some way disappointing? Not in the least.

Street Sense's back of the pack rally to win could become the stuff of legend. Seeing the colt cut through the field like a shark fin through water is as good as it gets on the track. Was there greatness in that move? Unquestionably.

Is there greatness in that horse? We'll find out in two weeks at Pimlico but right now, I'm a believer.

"On the TV the announcer is predicting how the race
will be run and famous people are asked their opinions.
I wait for a twinkle in my brain but nothing happens. Still
it's all so exciting I want to talk to someone about it..."
--Kentucky Derby Day, Belfast, Maine
Stephen Dobyns


I've been waiting for that twinkle all week, through the workouts and the draw for post and the conjecture, but I'm fairly certain no magic realizations are coming. They never do.

You can't even call handicapping the Derby an inexact science. The inexact part is accurate, but science seems to imply that there's a way to figure this all out. In theory there is, but after seeing Giacomo win in person, I'm not so sure it isn't like trying to predict that lottery. The fact that I keep trying has less to do with some inherent belief in my own intellectual capacity and more to do with the excitement of participating in the spectacle, the excitement that Dobyns mentions above.

I've got my own julep in hand--no EarlyTimes though, Old Whiskey River for me and my horses--so let's start piecing this puzzle together.

1. Sedgefield (50-1) - Should be near the front with the early speed, but his best race came in the Lane's End where he sat in the middle of the pack and ended up second to Hard Spun. The horse is experienced by new Derby standards with five starts this year, but that 75 Beyer in his last race scares me. Needs a lot to go right to have any shot.

2. Curlin (7-2) - The big mystery horse. He's only run three times, but he's won them all impressively. His Arkansas Derby was effortless, beating Storm in May by 10 1/2 lengths, but he got a pretty good trip so I'm still throwing him out. Look at it this way, winning the Derby after not racing as a 2yo is like a high school star winning the NBA MVP award in his rookie season. WillCurlin be Kevin Garnett or Johnathan Bender? I think the experience factor is a lot to overcome, but if he does let the hype begin.

3. Zanjero (30-1) - The sort of horse, from the three slot, that spoils exotics. This year alone he's already lost to fellow starters Dominican, Street Sense, Circular Quay and Imawildandcrazyguy but he finished third in all three of those races. Classic example o####ood but not good enough. Additionally, Garrett Gomez, Zanjero's jockey for his past two races, will be atop Any Given Saturday. I won't be shocked if this horse screws me, but if you can't omit a horse who's lost to 20% of the field already who can you omit?

4. Storm in May (30-1) - Showed a little heart to hold on to second in the Arkansas Derby, but there's not a lot else here. Beaten by both Curlin and Sedgefield and I'm not favoring either of those horses.

5. Imawildandcrazyguy (50-1) - If Zanjero was good but not quite good enough, Blahblahblahguy is average and not nearly good enough. Finished off the board in every race thus far this year.

6. Cowtown Cat (20-1) - Intriguing colt here coming off consecutive wins in the Gotham and the Illinois Derby after hooking up with Todd Pletcher. He's not the best horse Pletcher will have going on Saturday, but somehow that makes me like him more. War Emblem anyone? One to watch on the toteboard for win bets and probably a part of exotics.

7. Street Sense (4-1) - What more is there to say? Best Beyer in the field with victories over most of the other mid-range prospects. Let's just say he's probably not running for show money.

8. Hard Spun (15-1) - The toteboard will tell you all you need to know. How is the betting public going to respond to Hard Spun's ridiculous workout? I already think he's a value at 15-1 and if he goes up from there I'll bring out the hammer.

9. Liquidity (30-1) - Nakatani likes his chances better astride Great Hunter. So do I. Put up a 102 in the Sham Stakes, but still lost.

10. Teuflesberg (30-1) - After a one race stand with Edgar Prado, Teuflesberg is back with Stewart Elliot but it probably won't matter. Devil's Mountain has already been beaten by seven

11. Bwana Bull (50-1) - The winner of the El Camino Real, my favorite graded stakes race name, has never won the Derby. Bwana finished behind both Tiago and Sam P. in the Santa Anita Derby and I barely like those two.

12. Nobiz Like Shobiz (8-1) - Consistency, consistency, consistency. Winner of three of his last four, Nobiz was bumped early on in his loss to Scat Daddy and Stormello in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. This horse is definitely on my ticket.

13. Sam P. (20-1) - Occupies an odd middle ground at 20-1 which gives me pause, but he's been beaten too often by too many others for me to give him a second look. Could be Pletcher's pawn in the grand scheme of things.

14. Scat Daddy (10-1) - He's beaten Nobiz and I like that horse, but Scat Daddy's had to work hard for his last two wins. The Derby is all about making tough choices and this might end up being mine.

15. Tiago (15-1) - Has improved his Beyer in ever race thus far, including an impressive Santa Anita Derby in his first race with Smith. Will probably end up near the bottom of my ticket, but if he floats upward of 15-1 he might be an intriguing win bet.

16. Circular Quay (8-1) - He's been in the hunt with every horse I like, but it probably won't be worth it to play him straight up. Easily a part of my exotics.

17. Stormello (30-1) - I was skeptical at first, but I think Stormello still gets to the front breaking from 17. That won't be where he ends up.

18. Any Given Saturday (12-1) - Finished on the board in all three 2007 starts and there's no reason not to play him. That said, I'm nervously leaving him off because I like others more.

19. Dominican (20-1) - Pretty good price considering he beat the second choice, Street Smarts, in his last out, but I think the extra distance does him in.

20. Great Hunter (15-1) - The first horse I fell in love with, it hurts me to see him all the way out there on the end. He's got the speed, he's got the jockey and he's got an excuse in the Bluegrass. After careful consideration, I'm saying screw it and taking him anyway.

My standard Derby approach is to work out an exotic or two early, then go shopping for value in the last hour before post. Without further adieu, here's how I'm leaning:

Great Hunter
Nobiz Like Shobiz
Storm Sense
Tiago
Circular Quay

And I'll be keeping a close eye on where Hard Spun and Cowtown Cat end up odds-wise.

At least that's my "twinkle." With all that thinking out of the way, let's remix Dobyns a bit: Troy has yet to fall, but play those country songs anyway.

I need to hear "Whiskey River" right now. other Derby horses. That's not my kind of pony.

The Legend never worried about GHT...The Yun' Ball Coach sent along the accompanying photo last week and while the late Dennis Johnson is definitely the focus (and reason this photo probably surfaced), check out Bird giving an interview to Marv Alberts Brent Musberger with an old-school white can of Miller Lite in his hand.

Forget the champagne that DJ has collared, it's the original Lite beer for the Hick. Only thing that could make this picture better is if Bob Uecker were somehow involved.

Notice that the can is nearly as long as his shorts. Those were the days.

Seriously, you guys. Seriously...Thanks again to the Yun' Ball Coach for this story from chicagosports.com about current Cubs backstop, Michael Barrett: Barrett seriously bleeding Cubs blue.

Apparently Michael likes it in Chicago and I'm fine with that. He hits as well as any catcher and if we're going to fault him for his defense on this team he's probably only fourth or fifth on the hit list. Check out his love letter to the Cubs:

"I will put no deadline or nothing on anything," Barrett said. "For me, I feel like I've been through a lot as a player, and I feel completely blessed to be a part of this team. For me, if there's a distraction that keeps you from appreciating putting on a Cubs uniform, then something ain't right. That's the way I feel."

Spoken like a true catcher, and...

"I feel indebted to this organization for what it's done. It believed in me at a time when a lot of teams and a lot of people gave up on me. . . . When you have that grace extended to you, it's easy to come to the yard and be appreciative."

Maybe it's just me, but isn't loyalty like this, even if it ends up only on paper, far too rare? As a fan, the one thing I never understand is why we don't see more of this. Wouldn't this be the approach of most any fan out there? Find a team and city you like and do everything you can to stay there.

Hardly ever happens, though. I guess when your career has a 10-year shelf life (if you're lucky), maximizing your earnings becomes that much more important, but good for Barrett for saying all the right things even if it's only February.

Seriously.

Didn't I tell you?...In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, I made the case for Prince as perhaps the best performer the big game had ever seen and he pretty much delivered.

In that same column, I also listed four other options for equally intriguing selections, one of which was the Boss. Well, guess who is being rumored as the front-runner for XLII? (Idolator via Deadspin)

I love being right.

I promise that I'm looking at the Super Bowl from more than just a musical context. There are a number of important issues on the table that I have yet to rule on like: what to eat (ribs or wings), where to get said foodstuff (too many contenders to name), what to drink (Old Style isn't available up here, but I need something vaguely Chicagoan) and the exact wardrobe for Super Sunday (the Payton away jersey has gotten us this far, but do I need the Bears Zubaz overnighted from home too?)

As you can see, I'm dealing with a lot of heavy stuff here.

And on top of all that, I decided today that I needed to make a Super Bowl XLI mixtape. This all started two years ago when I was preparing to attend my first Kentucky Derby with friends and I commemorated the occasion by creating a CD to get us from Nashville to Louisville on race day. Spurred by its success, last year saw the release of volume two and preparation has already begun for volume three (in loving memory of Barbaro).

I'm not saying that I'm the T Bone Burnett of sporting event soundtracks but I'm working on it. Of course, there are a few guidelines to follow:

--You only get one "so cheesy it's cool" song. It would be easy enough to start with "The Super Bowl Shuffle" and then add all the usual songs associated with Miami (Will Smith, Gloria Estefan, Vanilla Ice). You'd be halfway done but nobody would want to listen your CD. One can give a little comic relief.

--Don't underestimate feel and emotion. It's surprisingly hard to collect 80 minutes worth of music around theme without any explanation. There will be songs that don't seem connected to the event in any immediate sense, but can still significantly add to the album's overall tone. Which is to say...

--No connection is too tenuous. There will be songs about football. There will be songs about Miami and Chicago but not Indianapolis. (1. They don't exist, and 2. This is MY tape.) There will be songs from artists from Miami and Chicago but not Indiana (sorry Cougs, see #2 above). There will be songs from artists who are on a Chicago label, but that's just to justify Bobby Bare Jr.'s inclusion.

--All other standard rules for mixtape compilation apply as set out in High Fidelity.

Super Bowl XLI - The Album

Pregame

1. "The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins Over on Ty Hildenbrandt's blog, he and I were discussing the merits of this song as a football highlight track and after I saw it used at the Nebraska football camp in 8th grade I've never been to able hear it any other way. The odds that you'll hear this song at some point during the broadcast are pretty good.  

2. "Banned in the USA" - 2 Live Crew It's not quite the National Anthem, but I wanted to give a nod to the guys who put Miami rap music on the map. It's tough to find a song clean enough in their category that won't get us a parental advisory sticker, but this one is safe. (Which reminds me, since I've finally reached an age that should prevent any repercussions, I have a confession to make: In 6th grade one of my best friends snuck a copy of Nasty as they Wanna Be onto the bus for our field trip and we listened to it for three hours straight. As far as I can tell, we all turned out fine.)

1st Quarter

3. Little Ole Wine Drinker Me - Dean Martin Probably one of my favorites out of Deano. Here's why: in the song Dean is in a bar in Chicago praying it will rain in California so the grapes will receive ample moisture, ensuring a good crop that will result in more wine. That's hardcore.

4. Da Superfan Shuffle - Da Superfans You didn't think I'd actually use "The Super Bowl Shuffle" did you? This might be better as it combines the Superfans and the shuffle into one.

5. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z + Danger Mouse This one's for Tank.  

2nd Quarter

6. "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" - Johnny Cash I try, and am usually able, to tie in a Cash song to every mix I make and this is another one for Mr. Johnson. In fact, the Tank Johnson mixtape practically compiles itself.  

7. "My Kind of Town" - Frank Sinatra You can't overestimate "people who smile at you," especially when Tank Johnson lives in your city. (Last one, I swear.)  

8. "Where is My Mind" - Bobby Bare Jr.  I have a feeling Rex is going to start slowly like he did in the NFC Championship game, so don't be surprised Bears fans if your asking this very question as we go into the half.  

Halftime

9. "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" - Prince Gotta do it. Bomani Jones convinced me today that Prince might actually be old after all.  

10. "When U Were Mine" - Crooked Fingers  It's tough to top the man himself, but this banjo-driven dirge is a fine cover for the lull before the second half.  

3rd Quarter

11. "Cocktails" - Robbie Fulks  Now that we're halfway through the game, it seems like the perfect time for a cautionary tale about over consumption--thanks, Dean--from one of Chicago's alt-country giants.  

12. "I'm Afraid of Americans" - David Bowie  I can only assume that the millions of overseas viewers watching perhaps their only American sporting event of the year must feel quite similar to Mr. Stardust in this song. Watching 300-pound genetic freaks smash into each other for four hours will do that.  

13. "It Was Supposed to be So Easy" - The Streets  I'm hoping that this is what Dwight Freeny is thinking as the 3rd comes to a close. Also, the song is an apt description of what your pregame activities should NOT entail on Sunday. Get all of this stuff out of the way on Saturday.  

4th Quarter

14. "Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie  Who is feeling it more? Peyton or Rex? I'm not getting any closer than this to "Ice Ice Baby," A1A shout out or not.  

15. "Decoration Day" - Drive-by Truckers  My absolute favorite song about burial. I only hope that midway through the 4th it's appropriate in the right context.  

16. "Sonho Dourado" - Daniel Lanois  If you haven't heard the Friday Night Lights soundtrack yet, I urge you to do so. This is the song that plays when mighty Permian goes down and it's exactly the song I want to hear when Peyton unsnaps his chinstrap for the final time this season.  

Postgame

17. "One Big Holiday" - My Morning Jacket  The song I want to hear while the Bears celebrate, and finally...  

18. "Sweet Home Chicago" - Robert Johnson  The song you will hear should the Bears be celebrating. Logic says The Blues Bros. here, but this dude made a deal with the devil. Can't beat that.  

So there you have it. A loosely based, Chicago-centric Super Bowl XLI soundscape. I've got five copies left and should there actually be five people out there interested in obtaining one feel free to email me and I'll send you a hand-numbered copy via good ol' fashioned US Mail. (First come, first served. No international orders.)  

And if things go well, there will be more to come in the future. The NBA's debut in Las Vegas next month will almost certainly be commemorated in addition to the aforementioned Derby disc, so if you have any ideas for songs about horses or bourbon please pass them along. The well is running dry.

In a number of ways, Super Bowl XLI feels like the first time for me. I've never truly experienced the game from an invested fan's perspective and it's lead to some interesting internal questions. For example: why can't the NFL sell a decent looking hat?

Since I was 12, I've been sporting the same script "Bears" hat (similar to this one, only 15 years older) and I made a deal with myself that if Chicago made it to the Super Bowl I would upgrade my headwear in celebration and support of such a magnificent achievement.

The requirements for said hat were simple: it can't be orange, it should feature the classic 'C' and that alone, writing or small graphics on the back are acceptable but the sides must be unmarred, and no stupid striping would be permitted especially on the bill. It was to be the sort of cap, navy and unstructured, that I figured would be available in every gas station between Rockford and Carbondale and just a few mouse clicks away on-line.

Nope. Everything seems to look painfully similar to this, but maybe karma will reward me in the long run. Changing your gamer before the big game might not have been the best idea anyway.

But in the twisted sort of logic that defines my daily existence, I next began to wonder if simply buying Prince's "When You Were Mine" off iTunes--something I've been meaning to do for months--would be an ample show of support for XLI (although I suspect the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As himself might be a Vikings fan).

You see, aside from enjoying the lead-up to the game more than ever before, I'm also excited for the halftime show for the first time since I got Bee Bop Bamboozled by Diet Coke's 3-D halftime show in 1989 when I couldn't find the glasses at any of the local retail outlets.

The more that I think about it, Prince might just be the perfect choice for Super Bowl halftime entertainment. He's hot mom tested and hipster approved. Regardless of race, creed, sex or age, everyone agrees that "When Doves Cry" is a damn fine song.

So what took so long? I've always wondered why the NFL insisted on booking their halftime show like they were providing the entertainment for a 40-year class reunion. Aren't 18 to 34-year-old males the "coveted demographic?" Those people don't want to see Sting!

Honestly, I'd have no problem if Prince took up a 10-year residency at the halftime show like some luminary at a Vegas casino, but since that seems unlikely to happen, I've developed some rules for the NFL to follow when considering future candidates for halftime entertainment:

1. If you couldn't see the artist in one of the multi-million dollar commercials then they don't belong on the stage. You know why you didn't see any "Pimp Juice" commercials featuring Nelly during Super Bowl XXXV? Because, despite being the "#1 Selling Hip-Hop Energy Drink," whatever that means, PJ couldn't afford a spot on Super Sunday. Maybe this was an indication of the temporal nature of Nelly's popularity. Just follow the hip-hop and marketing lead here; if it don't make dollars, it don't make sense.

With that said...

2. Give us something slightly on The Edge and I don't mean U2. Prince has songs that would make a porn star blush and that's a large part of his appeal as a Super Bowl performer. Will everything be squeaky clean and family friendly? Probably. But the potential is there for something crazy to happen and in a time where Paul McCartney was praised for being uninteresting the year after Nipplegate, I like that.

3. Nobody enjoys old-timer's games. I love the Rolling Stones and I understand their greatness, but I still have no interest in seeing them in their current state and that's not a statement on their present potency. I'm sure they're still great. They could announce a tour tomorrow and it would sell out within an hour, but everything that made them great happened 30+ years ago. I would've loved to experience the power of the Stones in their prime, but I missed that boat and all the plastic surgery in the world can't convince me otherwise.

I'm sure there are a number of people who will disagree with me on this point, but you can't always get what you want. Sorry.

4. Flavors of the month are just as bad. What do Right Said Fred, 98 Degrees and the Lyte Funky Ones (nee, LFO) have in common? They were all universally crappy and none of them ever appeared at the Super Bowl, but Kriss Kross, Los Del Rio, 'NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys all did. All I'm asking for is a little foresight here, which could be tricky considering that we live in an age where anything that is cool today will be liked by more people tomorrow which makes it totally uncool to the people who initially thought it was cool yesterday, but here's a hint: don't read Pitchfork.com because nobody knows who any of those bands are. Paste or any band currently featured in a car commercial will provide much better options.

In fact, this leads me to scratch Rule No. 1 as I'm pretty sure Lance, JC, Joey, Chris and Justin were shilling for somebody back in the day.

Nevertheless, it shouldn't be that hard going forward. All the NFL needs to find is an artist currently in their prime, possessing an undeniable edginess/sexiness that implies something extraordinary could happen, with enough credibility to appease tastemakers without offending the tasteless, whose best albums weren't all recorded prior to 1980.

But if that's not enough o####uideline to go by, I've taken the liberty of preparing a list of qualifying musicians: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Prince and Willie Nelson.

That covers just about everyone doesn't it?

A Vodka and Pony Show?

 It was with great surprise on Friday afternoon that I noticed tiny little Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska had made national news and cracked FOXSports main page. A veterinarian at the track has been accused of injecting horses with vodka to calm their pre-race nerves. Y'know, just a little nudge to take the edge off.

As I mentioned on this blog last May, Fonner Park was my home away from home in college, the place where I cut my teeth as a punter and fell in love with the Kentucky Derby via simulcast. But a den of cheats and sharps? Never!

Okay, I'm not really that surprised. If Churchill Downs is the mother church of thoroughbred racing then FON is a drive-thru wedding chapel. They both operate under the same basic rules, but the powers that be are a lot more invested in one over the other. I won't claim that horse racing is corrupt as a whole, but there are literally hundreds of these little "bull rings" throughout the country and it would be naive to think that-- hundreds of miles away from the big money of Kentucky, New York and California--there isn't some sort of foul play afoot some of the time.

When I used to frequent the track, the meet was dominated by two or three jockeys and as many trainers. (Jockey Ken Shino made SportsCenter in 2000 by winning 8 races on a 10-race card.) But with a large portion of the meet made up of four-furlong races for $5K claimers there were quite a few longshot stories as well. With horses that low on the thorougbred pay scale, you constantly had to wonder if everything was on the square and level. Quite simply, there was almost always more financial motivation for a trainer, jockey or owner to win a race than to maintain a horse's health and that's the sad reality of small time horse racing.

Just how cheap are these horses? Well, according to the Omaha World-Herald, the vet in question used Phillips brand vodka on his horses. In Lexington the horses eat better than I do, but in Grand Island, well, they can't even get the good stuff.

Weary Blues from Waitin'

Last night Missouri Valley Conference heavyweight Southern Illinois continued their dominance over Creighton, winning 58-57, marking the Salukis' seventh straight win over the Jays. SIU is the only visiting team to have won two games at the four-year-old Qwest Center and they simply don't lose at home so the odds of Creighton getting this one back are slim to none.

The Valley is still sort of a hot-button issue in college basketball. How good is the conference? Has it grown to the point where the selection committee will recognize its depth and reward the teams who finish in the top third like they do with the major conferences? The MVC resume is again worthy with a lofty RPI and some big non-conference wins earlier in the year, but I think the parity may actually short a few teams some bids when it's all said and done.

This spells bad news for Creighton. Coming into the season this was supposed to be the best Bluejay team of the Dana Altman era. Most of the preseason magazines had Creighton ranked in the Top 25 to start the season and they were the pick to win the Valley, but after last night's game they're one of three teams in the conference with three-losses looking up at Northern Iowa.

At this point it looks like the Jays will need to win either the regular season title or at least make the conference tourney title game to have a realistic shot at the Big Dance. Creighton is a good team, but they're not a special team like many of us thought coming in.

As a one-time student and current fan of Creighton University, this is distressing. For the third or fourth time this season, Creighton set an attendance record last night for a college basketball game in the state of Nebraska. The crowd of 17, 459 was larger than the one that watched the Nebraska women's volleyball team win the national title just a few months ago. Creighton is literally the toast of Omaha right now, but that's more alarming than reassuring.

It's been a bull market for Bluejay basketball for a while now, but the Creighton stock still seems to be trading at the same value it was four or five years ago: a 19-20 win team that will finish near the top of their conference and perennially be on the tournament bubble. Now that's progress from where CU was at in the mid-90's, but I still feel like this team should be taking the next step.

The level of recruits should be getting better, but thus far it hasn't. Dana Altman has turned down numerous offers from major conference teams over the past five years, at least implying that he believes the program hasn't topped out, but the results speak differently.

When I was a freshmen in college and foolish enough to think that I could walk on at a Division I program, Creighton practiced in a place actually called the "Old Gym," their weight room was tiny and we would jog through the streets of north Omaha to get to an abandoned high school track overgrown with weeds for preseason conditioning. After getting pink-slipped by Altman himself, my roommate and I had to beg fellow students to head to the Civic Auditorium with us for games.

Now you're lucky if you can get a ticket, but the team doesn't seem that much better than the 98-99 lineup that I tried to crack. That team went 22-9, won the MVC tourney and beat Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tournament, which is about what we expected out of this year's edition of the Jays.

At this point, if they come close to achieving one of those milestones it will feel like a success.

Baseless and Biased NFL Picks

I was six-years-old back when the Patriots and Bears met in Super Bowl XX and the only thing I remember was Jim McMahon's headband from the pregame introductions. (Literally, I can't even remember if I watched the game or not, but that image sticks for some reason.) I'm desperately seeking a rematch, not only because I've never been invested in a Super Bowl as a fan (Bears), but also because I'm not quite ready to be set adrift in the sea of NBA and NHL all-star game coverage yet. Even two-weeks of Super Bowl fluff from the local-media would be preferable to reading more about Paul Pierce's expected return date.

Despite all historical indicators pointing to the Patriots, popular sentiment seems to say that it's finally the Colts time to shine and I pretty much agree with that...but I'm still taking the Patriots. You just don't give a team like this, as overmatched as they may be physically, more chips to pile on their shoulders. Remember, nobody puts Brady in a corner.

As for why I'm taking the Bears, aside from they're my team, I've got nothing. The defense seems to be cracking, they're facing the best offense in the league, they have a wild card at quarterback and winning would mean that Chicago doesn't care about relief efforts down on the bayou. I guess I'll just hope that dome teams continue to fail out of doors in the playoffs.

And finally...thank God for Sunday morning Premiereship action on Fox Soccer Channel. All season long it's provided the perfect preamble to the NFL games to come and today we've got a match befitting of championship Sunday: Arsenal-Manchester United.

If the NFL were high school and I were running for Student Body President, here’s my platform:

--I would mandate that giant, inflatable helmets always be used for player introductions.

--I’d ditch the half time show…all of it. I like dancing about as much as John Lithgow did in Footloose. In its place would be yearly “Where are they now” segments on former Super Bowl performers, Kriss Kross, Los Del Rio, New Kids on the Block and Neil Diamond. (I ALWAYS want to know what Neil is up to. Tell me at any time of the day, I’ll stop whatever I’m doing, I promise.)

--I’d rig the stadium with fireworks set to explode every time a prop bet came in. Shaun Alexander gains 6 yards on his first carry…BOOM! A Heart Stopper 20 goes off. Kobe Bryant finishes with 32 points, and XL is already at 35 for the over/under…CRACK! A Thunder Dome 74 explodes. Imagine explaining that to the guy from the office who watches one game a year but always manages to find out about your Super Bowl party.

--I would probably try to incorporate chocolate milk and longer home rooms somewhere into the game as that’s what all high school elections seemed to be about. But let’s move away from such petty affairs as I’m sure I would’ve lost to Ben Roethlisberger anyway.

No, if given the power to change one thing about the Super Bowl, the choice for me is simple: I’d lose the rings. Melt them down, bury them, throw them into the magma like Frodo after Rudy carried him for the entire 4^th quarter. I don’t need ‘em, and apparently the players don’t either.

The NFL springs for 150 rings for the Super Bowl champs at $5000 a pop. The loser gets the same 150 rings at half the spending limit because, well, they were half as good. That sounds like a lot of money, but it’s nothing 30 seconds on Super Sunday can’t pay for.

So the league fronts $5000 and the owners usually chip in a bit more for some extra carats to keep their donkeys pulling. But lately, it’s gotten out of control. Remember Bill Belichick’s fistful of diamonds at last year’s ESPY Awards? It made Paul Wall’s grill look like the most understated fashion accessory of the year.

Now I’m of the opinion that a man should wear only one ring in his lifetime. Some guys can get away with a college ring, and others can either beat you or buy you into thinking a pinky-ring is a pretty good idea, but I can’t imagine ever wanting to wear this. If a player is lucky, he will wear his ring once or twice and then throw it in a safety deposit box to accrue disinterest. If he’s unlucky, drugs, divorce or child support catch up to him after his playing days and he goes looking for the nearest pawn shop.

According to a St. Petersburg Times article from 2001, former Super Bowl champs such as Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, Rocky Bleier, Bob Johnson, and Skip Thomas have all had to hawk their hardware to settle up debts. There’s probably a lesson to be learned here about personal responsibility, and it’s quite easy as a fan, who has no hope of ever winning a ring of any consequence, to say that no matter how bad it got, if I had to panhandle with a Big Gulp cup and 23-carats on my hand, I’d never give up a Super Bowl ring. But I’m sure all of the players mentioned above felt the same way until the creditors kept knocking. Even as a Nebraska fan, I didn’t want to see Billy Sims be forced to give up his Heisman.

But some players are all too willing to let their rings go up on the auction block. With little demonstrable need, Mercury Morris, the Fridge, Lester Hayes, and Dennis McKinnon have all let the ring slip from their finger for upwards of $18,000 according to USA Today. As a guy who still has 90 percent of the possessions I’ve ever owned, I find this odd, but as a fan I find it infuriating.

Most of us who follow sports got there because of the extraordinary feats of a small group of players. As children they are our heroes and as adults they are an eternal source of envy. They do all the things we never could, but always dreamed we could do. While I will never win a World Series ring, the closest I’ll ever come is to see Carlos Zambrano wear one. That’s probably a little pathetic and probably a little romantic, but that’s the life of a sports fan.

So when a player sells his ring off as just another asset, it stings a little. It’s not fair to the players to be judged by some nobody like me, but it’s not fair to the fans, who have yearned for these championships as much as anyone, either. That’s why I think it’s best to just scrap the rings all together.

Instead, let the players do what they wish with the $5000. Maybe a few would donate the money, a few more would probably make quiet improvements to their life, and even more would probably make totally outrageous purchases and that’s where the fun comes in. Rasheed Wallace set the bar impossibly high when he purchased championship belts for the Pistons last year, but there are still a few untapped resources. How about a little Lombardi trophy hood ornament in platinum for the MVP’s new Cadillac, or an African safari for your offensive line? The Bus could buy an actual bus and upholster it entirely in mink. I’m sure the Rooneys will pitch in. This way everyone wins, the players get what they want and I have no expectations left unfulfilled.

Of course the best result is always the unintended one. After a few years of endlessly entertaining, but continually condemnable materialism, that old talisman just might reclaim some if its lost glory. By the time the Super Bowl hits South Beach again in 2010, I think we’ll all be ready for the return of the ring.

But until then, let the one-upmanship begin.

After the second of two unsatisfying, systematic blow-outs in the conference championship games was finished, I immediately looked to the TV listings to see what the NFL would force me to watch next Sunday during its two-week layoff before Super Bowl XL. It’s not pretty.

Come January 29, I can choose between the PBA’s Jackson Hewitt Classic and the Rock n’ Roll Arizona Marathon at 1:00 pm. Maybe I’ll take my chances with a mid-season NBA or college hoops match-up and hope for someone to score 80 points or a player-fan brouhaha. You can catch Arena Football starting on Friday, and it’s no coincidence that the AFL kicks-off its 20^th Anniversary season this weekend. What better time to grab a football fan’s attention than during the NFL’s almost annual fortnight football fast?

Luckily for me, I will be more than happy to tune in to the PBR event on NBC, but for Average Joe Sportsfan, with 1.5 children and 6.7 replica jerseys for those kids, Sunday might be best spent picking up football-shaped ice cube trays at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

By opting for the extra week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, the NFL is doing more than just forcing me to get creative with the remote or extending the run of the media circus by another week. History shows that they’re putting the game at risk as well.

In the past 20 years, the Super Bowl has been played five times after seven days rest, with an average margin of victory of 11 points. During that same period, in the 15 games following a two week interim, the margin of victory goes up to 19.06 points. That’s more than a touchdown difference and nearly four points over the average margin of victory for all 39 Super Bowls to date. The numbers seem to say that it is at least more likely we’ll have a close game with the teams playing after one week, but the NFL still insists upon leaving us hanging for two weeks. Why?

The answer seems to point to a general discrepancy between the average fan’s expectations of the Super Bowl and what the league thinks those expectations are. Because the Super Bowl can directly involve only two regional fan bases, the question eternally kicking around the NFL offices is: how do we keep the rest of the nation interested? The NFL’s answer is to give the media an extra week to uncover every human interest angle in the game. With ample time to collect b-roll of Jerome Bettis returning to his old high school, making over his childhood home and visiting all his favorite Motown eateries people can’t help but be interested, right?

Well, people already can’t help but be interested, it’s the Super Bowl! It’s not just a game, but a cultural event. Miss it and be banished from the water-cooler scuttlebutt until March Madness rolls around.

I don’t blame the media for hammering every facet of this game into a pulp. The seventh straight interview with Bill Cowher’s daughters is still more interesting than the Jackson Hewitt Open. But by the time the big game kicks-off the casual fan with little to no rooting interest has waded through seas of stats, stories and celebrity picks simply to determine that all they really want to see is a competitive game.

While the NFL is needlessly trying to lure a captive audience to their television sets, they inadvertently decrease the chances of delivering precisely what the fans want to see. Of the 10 most lopsided Super Bowls, only one of those games came after a one week layoff (XXVII, TB v. OAK). In the five Super Bowls to be decided by a field goal or less, two of them came from the one-week category, including the only 1-point game in Super Bowl history (XXV, NYG v. BUF). It seems innocent, but something strange happens in those second seven days…the games get worse.

The NFL runs on a one-week schedule, why change that leading up to the season’s biggest game? With the exception of the bye week, where teams went 16-16 following the layoff in 2005, teams are used to living Sunday to Sunday. Give a player one week before the Super Bowl and it’s strictly business. He can be forgiven for being focused on what is probably the biggest game of his life. But give him two weeks to prepare and he has no excuse for not finding every friend, family member and hanger-on tickets and accommodations for the game, at the very least a pre-party pass. He can do every interview and read every piece of analysis before he ever steps on the field. Like mold on 10-day-old bread, distractions only have more time to grow in that second week.

So why has the NFL opted for the extended layover in all but seven Super Bowls? Because as much as the games mean to us and as much as we hate to admit it, big-time professional sports are above all a business. It’s fitting that the Super Bowl is America’s premiere sporting event as no other game better represents the shear spectacle and capitalist bombast of the US of A. The Super Bowl is a product and the longer you have to promote that product the bigger the potential for a return on your investment. The game represents a major cash cow for the NFL, as well as a lot of other entities, and nothing, not even the quality of the game, will keep them from maximizing that potential.

Need proof? Ten days ago FIFA officials canceled the opening gala for the World Cup, the one sporting event that can trump the Super Bowl on a world-wide level, over concerns that there wouldn’t be time to return the pitch to perfect conditions. Could you ever see the NFL doing that? Is anybody going to tell Mick Jagger that he can’t have smoke and fireworks during his halftime performance because officials don’t want Ford Field to look like the L.A. skyline at sunrise for half of the third quarter? Not likely.

The NFL doesn’t need to sell me anything, I’m already a buyer. But for the next two weeks they’ll try to do exactly that, and we can only hope that the Seahawks and Steelers, two teams who bucked history to get here, can do the same in twelve days and provide us with a game worthy of the spectacle.

 

You just can't get this in Hollywood. I was only mildly intrigued by today's AFC Playoff, I thought it would be a nice warm-up for MY game tonight in Chi-town. But even as an impartial observer, I have to admit that today's Pitt-Indy match-up has to be one of the best games I've ever seen. Check out the story lines:

--Every NBA official breathes a huge sigh of relief as the refs inexplicably overturn Troy Polamalu's interception, fueling rumors that the fix is on in the NFL Playoffs as well.

--It looked like the Bus couldn't be stopped as he picked up two crucial 4th and Inches in the final stanza, but then the entire outlook of his career nearly changes with one of the most costly fumbles in NFL history.

--Peyton Manning goes from the inevitable Dan Marino comparisons, to looking like John Elway, back to the inevitable Dan Marino comparisons.

--Vanderjagt looks like Jason Lee in My Name is Earl warming up with his backwards hat and earring, then gets bitten by the bad karma from his Pro Bowl comments and shanks the kick to tie the game after being perfect at home for the season.

Unbelievable, and all I can think about is my Steelers fan-friend who had to work today. How did I get to watch this game and he didn't? I won't even be able to talk to him about it. I feel ashamed.

But I'll let it go with a Bears victory tonight.

We all watch sports for different reasons, although most of us will claim the altruistic ones when pressed: the life-lessons, the envy and awe of athletic prowess, the eternal capacity to be surprised and shamed. Who can honestly ask you to rake the yard or paint the house after you offer that explanation?

But sports are pretty damn funny as well. Vince Carter might invoke the Rule of the Recess and slap Mo-Pete and get away with it. Reggie Bush might turn the Rose Bowl into a pick-up basketball game. Drew Rosenhaus might hold a press conference. You just never know, and that's what keeps me coming back. So here's my list of the Top 10 Often Overlooked Sports Nuances that Keep Me Watching:

 

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10) Football players warming up while listening to an iPod.

I saw this no fewer than three times this year on such superstars as Vince Young, Chad Johnson and Julius Peppers. Sure, it's a sign of the times, but it is also an indication of how spectacularly gifted these athletes are.

I can barely take the train to work without strangling myself twice, introducing a 7-year-old to Bushwick Bill and his extensive vocabularly when my earbuds pop out, and ripping the button off some girl's designer pea coat thanks to the iPod. But these guys can actually do calisthenics and warm-up for the game with theirs? Is Vince Young THAT elusive? Could he shake the shadow people? More impressive than his Rose Bowl heroics if you ask me.

9) Squirrels Water Skiing.

I'm pretty sure this is entirely overrated, but local news outlets seem to think otherwise. Apparently, whenever some stay-at-home parent thinks it's cute to strap some lil' skis to a squirrel's feet and throw him behind a remote controlled boat, at least one local station will be there to document it. When said squirrel appeared on the Boston news the other night, it marked the fourth consecutive year I've seen the footage, and it is always the parting shot.

Joe Shortsleeve (CBS4, Boston): "To recap, the cheapest seat at Fenway has officially exceeded the market price of oil, we're expecting another 27 inches of snow, but, no need to worry, here's  a squirrel water skiing."

8) The "hold me back I can't BELIEVE that dunk" celebration.

Shaquille O'Neal has graciously accepted the mantle from Dikembe Mutombo as the player who will most drastically overreact to dunks at All-Star Weekend, and I thank him for that. But, honestly, we haven't seen anything new in this contest from anyone since Vince Carter in 2000, so let's tone it down a bit.

However, when it happens in a game you have one of my favorite moments in sport. While Ricky Davis throwing down another reverse alley-oop is entertaining, I'm always much more interested in the one player, generally a Ryan Gomes type, who has the presence of mind to restrain his fellow bench mates from rushing the court and smothering Ricky with kisses or carrying him off on their shoulders or dousing him with champagne...I don't know what they would do if they could get to the court, but Ryan Gomes thinks it has the potential to get out of hand. Every NBA bench needs a good doorman to insure order is maintained, but just once, maybe during a late season Hawks-Raptors game, I would like to see what would happen if they actually made it onto the floor.

7) Fox Soccer Channel's "Fans in the Booth" broadcast.

I don't consider myself a big soccer fan, but if you haven't had the opportunity to see FSC's rebroadcast of English Premiere League games with the commentary provided by two opposing fans, you have to check it out. What could be better than two young blokes, probably sloshed on Smithwicks since 6 a.m. with overdrawn Ladbrokes accounts, screaming at one another in cockney for three hours? It's all lemon-squeezy.

It is so good, in fact, that I make a motion to provide this option for ALL sports. Imagine if, instead of hearing Joe Buck ruin his 34th consecutive no-hitter, you could hear him say: "This game is also being broadcast by people who care and is available by utilizing the 'FAN' button on your remote."