These are my Week 2 picks for the NFC North:

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers: Carolina hung on to beat San Diego last week, which is respectable. However, the Bears beat up Indy and really showed what they can do. Look out for the Bears this season as I see them cruising on to beat Carolina. My Pick: CHICAGO

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions: Green Bay snuck out a win vs. Min last weekend, but they didn't look too impressive. Yes, Aaron Rodgers was a high point, but overall they couldn't take command. However, this weekend should be easy for them as the Lions looked horrific in they're week 1 loss to Atlanta. My Pick: GREEN BAY

Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota Vikings: The Colts did not look good against the Bears last weekend. At all. The Vikings hung with Green Bay but made a ton of mistakes. Look for a lot of mistakes from both teams in this one. It's hard to tell whether the Colts looked bad or the Bears looked good, but the Vikings did look ok. So going off of that, Minnesota is sitting pretty. My Pick: MINNESOTA

Here are my picks for the big games today:

OSU @ USC: This is a very big game early in the season. Ohio State didn't look very good until the 4th quarter last week against Ohio U. USC is looking good as last year they blew out Virgina. It will be close, but USC is looking really good. My Pick: USC but close

Michigan @ Notre Dame: Another anticipated game. Both teams have looked weak so far but both will come back to be ok/good this year. It's going to be very close. This is a great rivalry and today will be another chapter in that rivalry. However, in the 4th quarter last week Notre Dame showed what they can do and what they will do to Michigan. My Pick: NOTRE DAME but close

Wisconsin @ Fresno State: This is a game worth watching. PAC-10 vs. Big Ten. Top 25 matchup. A game that is between two teams that you really don't ever see play eachother. This is worth watching. Both teams have looked good this year, but FSU is at home and they're gonna be pumped to play the Badgers. It's going to be very very close but I see Fresno State being an upset contender. My Pick: FRESNO STATE but it could go either way

There has been a lot of talk recently about why the referee made the wrong call to penalize Washington for celebrating by throwing the ball up in the air.

Now, I am not a BYU or Washington fan. In fact, I kind of like Washington because of Ty Willingham. However, I believe the referee made the correct call.

It clearly states in the NCAA rules that a team must be penalized 15 yards if the show up another team or draw attention to themselves. I don't think he did either of those things, but it clearly gives an example in the NCAA rules of types of things that this rule should cover. One of those (letter c) is throwing the ball up into the air.

Therefore, because it gives a clear example of what not to do, I believe that, even though it is a dumb rule, that it was the correct call.

When somebody called in about Brett Favre's retirement and said that Favre was the best QB to ever play, Milwaukee, Wisconsin's "Homer" fired back.

Homer said that Favre was NOT the best to ever play, and that he wasn't even the best to ever play for GB.

Homer said that Bart Starr was the best QB to ever play.

Strong words coming from a loyal contributer of "Packer nation."

Looking forward to a great '08 NFL season.

GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!

The career of a legend is over. I used to think that I hated hearing what a QB he was, but I respect him and believe he was a great QB. He refused to quit for so long, and it's finally over. It will be a lot different looking out onto the Packers team and seeing no sight of Favre.

Being a fan of his rival, I must bring up negatives of his career.

-He was addicted to pain killers.

-He finished his career with two straight losses to the Chicago Bears and and 0-9 record vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

-He leaves with the interception record, although many other good records.

Thanks, Brett. Many Packer fans across the country became Packer fans because of you. Maybe now they'll be Bear fans.

Tha Packers will be different, but always the same hatred Packers. And now, even easier to hate with you off the team.

Now we are going to be hearing about how you were the greatest to ever play, a modest, kind player. We'll stop hearing Bear fand say: "He's a great player but ob the wrong team." No it's all rivalry twords the Packers.

You divided the Packers vs. Bears rivalry for a while. It becamse not much of a rivalry for a while. But you've finally retired.

Thanks for the memories. From, a Bears fan.

AND GO BEARS!!!

On February 14, 2008, Valentine's Day, a gunman broke into an assembly lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire, injuring 18, and killing 7 including himself. In these weeks this country and state is in mourning.

Let us all keep the university and it's families in our prayers.

God Bless America.

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Who will win the 2008 Super Bowl? New England Patriots New York Giants

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How do you get a restraining order in Wisconsin? This is how:

It all started when Mathew Kowald asked his son to wear a Packers jersey for the Packers-Seahawks playoff game and his son said he didn't want to. This angered Kowald. Some people would handle this situation lightly and shrug it off. Instead, this Packers fan decided to force his son to wear a Packers jersey. Kowald taped his son to a chair, and made sure to tape the Packers jersey to him, too. His wife took pictures and called the cops The cops put Kowald under arrest, and his wife filed a restraining order.

Yes, a true story. Sometimes Packer fans go a little overboard, but we forgive them, we just laugh a little bit in the process.

I expect a lot of comments in defense of this man and in criticism (and in laughs). Bring them on. I love to hear it.

Just in case you doubt my story, here you go:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22711780/.

This also, of course, made the news in Illinois because Bear fans eyes were caught by this story.

Well, the Packers season is over. They lost it in classic fashion and it was exactly what we see every time they have gone to the playoffs since 1998. A Favre interception ruins it, remind you of a Packers-Eagles game from a few years ago? Well, that's all I have to say.

Visit my other blog at chicagobearsfanblog.blogspot.com.

Visit my other blog at: chicagobearsfanblog.blogspot.com for my opinion on football. Other blogs coming soon!!!

Look at 'em over there: Packers fans Right here in Illinois --annoying, like those Wisconsin mosquitoes From: Chicago Sun-Times Date: November 7, 2001 Author: Mark Brown More results for: wisconsin packer illinois annoying | Copyright information Copyright 2001 Chicago Sun-Times. This material is published under license from the publisher through ProQuest Information and Learning Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to ProQuest Information and Learning Company.

They'll start showing up for work this week in those green and yellow getups. They think they're wearing green-and-gold, but then again, they still think the moon is made of string cheese.

You know who I'm talking about.

They still think Nitschke was better than Butkus. They'd give Hornung the start over Payton.

They don't even know it's an insult when you call them a Cheesehead.

They are geography-challenged Illinois Packers fans. They are lost.

Some of you will find this hypocritical, coming from a St. Louis Cardinals' baseball fan residing on Page 2 of a major Chicago daily newspaper, but I don't care. My Bears credentials are solid.

And I've never been able to understand the phenomenon ...

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Just gives you the idea of what an Illinoisan thinks of a Wisconsinite.

Mike Downey, a funny columnist and the Chicago Tribune were all about the Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday morning before their match with USC that sadly ended with a routing of the Illini. Mike Downey is a funny columnist and is creative. These are some questions that he thought USC fans wanted answered:

 

"PASADENA, Calif. -- OK, you USC'ans, this is game day, and I know what you want to know.

Why do so many Illinois fans going to the Rose Bowl plan to chant, "Go, Juice, go! "?

Because they intend to cheer for quarterback Juice Williams, and they also expect to see a different Juice in a car chase on their way to the game.

What ever happened to that mascot of yours the NCAA banned, Chief Illiniwek?

I hear he now lives up near Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch, where he runs a casino.

Why did you start a rumor that Pete Carroll doesn't have a clue what to say to his team before Tuesday's game?

His writers are on strike.

Don't you believe a lot of USC's players will play in the NFL next season?

Not in Los Angeles, they won't.

Why do you Midwest hicks keep calling us "Southern Cal" when you know we can't stand that?

That's why.

Aren't you a big, fat media liar when you claim USC's distinguished president, Dr. Steven Sample, is a graduate of the University of Illinois?

I cannot tell a lie. Be sure to look for ol' Doc Sample at the game, holding a Trojan sword in one hand and a foam-rubber Illini tomahawk in the other.

Downey, you miserable Illinois-born traitor, isn't it true that your own daughter attends USC?

No comment.

So what is Illini superstar J Leman's real first name?

Jennifer, but he goes by J-Lem.

What advice did #### Butkus give the team in his pep talk?

Something like: "Go hit those Trojans as hard as you can, then go up into the stands and hit their parents."

OK, smart guy, why don't you remind everybody now how USC has beaten Illinois 10 of the last 11 times they have met?

Glad to. Why don't you remind everybody how USC lost the 1989 game to Illinois 14-13 at the L.A. Coliseum without a single TD being scored by your offense, which was quarterbacked by Todd "Just Say No" Marinovich?

Wasn't that 1989 USC-Illinois game originally scheduled to be played in Moscow?

That is correct. I believe they planned to call it the Rose Bowl Preseason Game Presented by Stolichnaya Vodka.

I've heard that Ron Zook's grandfather came from Russia to America with a last name that was 26 letters long and that U.S. immigration officials at Ellis Island shortened it to Zook. Did this really happen?

It did. The coach's family name is actually Zookeeper-zoom-zoom-zoolander.

How do you pronounce the name of Illinois tight end Michael Hoomanawanui?

For a lot of you L.A. people, the hard part seems to be how to pronounce "Illi-noy."

Is it true that Illini defensive back Bo Flowers is 24 years old and used to play professional baseball in the Cubs' minors?

Every man has a skeleton in his closet. Besides, being with the Cubs, that's not professional baseball.

So how did Zook persuade your backup tailback, Daniel Dufrene, to leave College of the Sequoias and choose Illinois over his second choice, UCLA?

By telling him Illinois' football program is better than UCLA's. And also that College of the Sequoias' football program is better than UCLA's.

Couldn't that running back Rashard Mendenhall take home a Heisman Trophy if he stays in school one more year?

He could, if O.J. doesn't steal it first.

Is it true Illini linebacker Antonio Steele's big brother Markus once played for USC?

Any young man named Markus or Marcus is obligated under a California law to grab a shield and sword and perform in the Coliseum.

I see where the 2005 season ended with Illinois getting beat 35-20 by California, 61-14 by Michigan State, 35-7 by Iowa, 36-13 by Indiana, 63-10 by Penn State, 31-24 by Wisconsin, 40-2 by Ohio State, 37-3 by Purdue and 38-21 by Northwestern. How in the heck did the Illini become so much bigger and better since then?

Man, I don't care, as long as none of their names show up in Jose Canseco's next book.

OK, we know this Illinois team beat No. 1-ranked Ohio State, but how?

Oh, no, you don't. I know you USC dudes have Ohio State on your schedule for Sept. 13, 2008, but you get no tips from us."

-Chicago Tribune Mike Downey in the Monday January 1, 2007 newspaper.

Sadly, this season ended with a crash for the Illini. But this year was so great for the program. They went from nothing to something in a year. Three years ago, Ron Zook came to the U of I and had great recruiting years. Everybody was wondering where these great recruits were. Well, here they are. The recruiting is paying off. This football program is back on the map, and next year, the goal is even higher.

The Chicago Bears are 2-0 in their "new season" that Lovie Smith told them started at the Packers game. The Bears are seeing signs within these last two games.

One sign is that Kyle Orton is better than Grossman or Griese. I am not saying that Da Bears won't go out and get a new QB, I am simply saying that Kyle Orton is the better QB on the team. WHERE HAS HE BEEN ALL SEASON?

I also think that either the team has more confidence with him at QB, or for some reason the defense is playing A LOT better than the rest of the season.

The Bears cannot ignore the downside to this season, though. Even though the team won their last two games against teams they shouldn't have, the Bears must still realize that this team needs help! We need a new LB (with Briggs leaving), we need a new QB (Yes, I said it. Orton really isn't a Super Bowl QB, but it depends how you define that because Rex went to the '06 SB), we need a new receiver that can make an impact on the offense. Berrian you keep and MAYBE Mushin, but Mushin can't run his route. We need a new RB (Peterson is a good RB, though).

Do you see how easy it is for the Bears to say "We're okay, we can lay off the heavy moves this offseason" BUT THEY CAN'T! It scares me so much that they would say this and here's why:

This is what they could say: "We'll find an LB but we've got Urlacher so he doesn't have to be a big move. Orton looked good and is the future of this team, so no help at QB. Some of our recievers came on twords the end with Orton in there, so maybe it was all Grossman and Griese's fault that they struggled. Peterson is a good RB and we'll have Benson back next year. We're okay with only a couple of minor moves."

PLEASE DON'T DO THIS BEARS! THIS TEAM IS IMPROVING AND WILL IMPROVE EVEN MORE IF YOU HAVE A GOOD OFFSEASON! DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPEND CASH, YOU'VE GOT IT!