It is hard to believe that the first quarter of the 2007 NFL season is over already, for most teams. However, how many NFL games are won or lost in the first quarter? The NFL is a fourth quarter league. Some teams look out of it and some pretenders look like contenders. There is a fine line between these teams though. Who is good and who is bad? It’s very simple to see isn't it? Not really, but there are a few signs to know if your team is a pretender or an actual contender.

First sign that a team is a contender is the record. After all it is the way teams get into the playoffs. No matter how bad you may think a team is, if they have a winning record they are one step closer to making the playoffs.

Another sign that a team is a contender is, how many times per game do they "shoot themselves in the foot". In other words how many penalties/yards and turnovers are they committing? Is their teams name the Browns?  The Bears and Patriots are the only two teams in 2006 that were in the top ten for both sides of the ball in penalty yards. Both ultimately lost to the Colts, a team that made teams pay all year for making such mistakes.

Who have they beaten so far? It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. When playoff times comes, they don’t rank the teams based on who you beat, the playoffs are determined by how many of all the who’s you have beaten.

Remember the old adage "Any given Sunday?" This is when pretenders get beat the most. They lose to teams they are supposed to beat. It is also the same when they win the games they are supposed to lose. You never know which team will show up.

Based on one quarter of the season here is a list of Contenders and Pretenders. It is hard to determine these teams after only 3-4 games but in order to cut down a forest you have to cut one tree at a time. Some teams don’t even know what to cut down a tree with at this point. Others are ready for the Outdoor Games on ESPN. The other factor involved is the schedule ahead.

 Contenders-

First the obvious, going into week five all four undefeated teams have a legitimate shot at glory. These teams include Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and New England. All four teams are 4-0. The Patriots already have a three game lead after only four weeks.

There are a few teams that are 3-1 that are contenders as well. The Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks are both in position to contend. Both teams have big road games this week. Seattle at Pittsburgh and Detroit at Washington. Detroit has never won a road game at Washington either. The Lions are 0-19 against the Redskins in Washington. The last time the Lions won a road game against the Skins was back in the 30's when they were the Boston Redskins. Even if both teams lose this week they are still contenders.

Seattle is the more balanced team of the two but has a much more difficult schedule. The Lions have one of the best offenses in the entire NFL and have just enough defense to make the playoffs.

Pretenders-

Tampa Bay fell to this category when they lost Cadillac Williams for the season and Tackle Luke Petitgout. They do look to be the best team in their division with the Saints playing like the Aints again. Jeff Garcia may still have enough mojo left in him to lead them to the playoffs but they seem to still be pretenders.

The Raiders are 2-2 which matches their 2006 season total for wins. But they still haven’t figured out the QB situation and the running game is still suspect if Lamont Jordan is hurt for a long period of time. However Dominic Rhodes who they signed to replace or compete with Lamont Jordan has just finished serving his four game suspension and returned to the team this week. Culpepper was named the AFC offensive player of the week last week for his performance against the Dolphins. Yes he scored five touchdowns overall but Culpepper completed just five of 12 passes for 75 yards. They also have to play the Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers twice. With all these teams combined to be the division of pretenders.

Other pretenders include Arizona and San Francisco. Both teams are 2-2. The Cards employ two QBs which means Leinart has not played well enough to take and hold the starting job and Kurt Warner has one more TD pass also. The 49ers have no offense and have not gelled the defense completely. With Alex Smith’s shoulder injury they may not have a chance to gel the offense again once he comes back, not that it was very good before he was hurt.

The San Diego Chargers became pretenders when they fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season and hired Norv Turner. Norv Turner as a head coach has not had a winning season since 1999. He also has a 41% winning percentage for his career with a record of 59-85-1. Schottenheimer had a 200-126-1 (61% winning percentage), had 11 double digit winning teams in 21 years of coaching, and had three straight 10 plus winning seasons with of all teams the Browns.

The Bears are pretenders this year. Defense wins championships when the offense isn’t horrible. Well there offense is horrible. No passing game, no running game, and no quarterback. All this equals a top ten draft pick. Maybe they should take a QB next year.

 

 

It comes up every year in the NFL that there are too many preseason games.  NFL owners won't scratch the games because of revenue earned by each game.

Players hold out, even rookies, for more guaranteed money.  It happens every year.

Monday Night Football has some real duds for games.  every now and then there is a good game that may actually mean something, but not very often.

With so many players getting injured and players put on injured reserve, it would be nice if those teams didn't have to bring in guys off the street to play and possibly start.


Here are some changes that not only should be made but could be made.

1. Shorten preseason down to 2-3 games.  You would have less players getting hurt and besides the guys are professionals, do they really need a month and a half of practices and exhibition games to get ready?  Teams like to use these extra games to evaluate talent and see who will make the team.  However you will see in my third point why that won't matter.

2.  guaranteed contracts in the NFL is a must.  These players get injured or old and they just cut them with little repercussion.  There is absolutely zero loyalty to players, it is hard to get it back when it isn't given.  This would also hold more teams fiscally responsible for players they sign.

3.  Extend rosters from 53 man rosters to 60.  Teams can only have 46 active for games and with an expanded roster they could have their full 53 man roster.  This would create more jobs as well.

4.  Monday Night Football needs an upgrade of games.  We really don't want to see the same teams ran out there as well.  The NFL needs to let the MNF team select better match-ups closer to game weeks.

So I had to take a break from all the places I write because it has been a busy year already.  I have some NBA stuff I need to get off my chest.  I need to smack some dime droppers and draft action as well.  First lets get to a few free-agents.

First off it bothers me that it is so acceptable, almost like no big deal (pun intended) when an above average players gets $60 million to play basketball for a few years.  This is also the cause to my problem of only getting to one game a year now because of ticket prices.  Really does a hot dog of that quality really justify $5 and beers for $9?

1. Rashard Lewis- Will he stay or will he go?  I think he goes.  He may not want to sign on as the lone gun on a team in rebuilding mode. The Sonics just drafted Kevin Durant who plays the same position.  Lewis may get short term max money such as the new common 4 years $60 million deal, but he could get that in a sign and trade almost anywhere.  Which teams could make the move?  Portland, Miami, and Orlando are the commons teams you here on him.  What about Boston?  They just got Ray Allen from Seattle why not Lewis also?

2.  Chauncey Billups - He is unrestricted but the chances of him leaving Detroit are restricted.  Orlando's name again pops up on this one.  The Pistons can offer more money to stay and the Magic would have to do a sign and trade.  These teams did it once before with Grant Hill.  I thought there was no way Grant would leave Detroit but a sign and trade deal that sent Hill to the Magic the Pistons got Ben Wallace and Chucky Adkins.  Maybe in this sign and trade deal the Magic would send Grant Hill and Darko Milicic back to Detroit.  All three players are free agents currently, Darko is restricted.

3.  Kurt Hinrich's mama is ugly.  He isn't a free agent but I had to say that.

4.  Gerald Wallace - he is probably going to remain a Bobcat.  He may get a little over rated by some because he carried the Bobcats most of the year.  Someone had to do it!  Although if he does stay and they solidify the roster around him they may make a playoff run.  He may still be a player on the rise.

Cleveland - take this time as a chance to get better.  Dont overpay for your own mediocre not supporting players you have as free and restricted agents.  Take this chance to get Lebron two guys that are going to step up and take the pressure off of Lebron.  They went all the way to the finals but got slammed by a team like San Antonio who plays 9 deep and as a unit.  The Cavs still stand around watching Lebron hoping he may kick it out to them at some point.


Greg Oden will be a solid player?  He looks like he has all the tools to be a two way player in the NBA.  Well actually he looks like "Grandpa Lebron" in the Nike commercials but that was another blog down the line.  I wish he could have played two more years in college to refine his game.  This may have been his fathers decision to come out early and go pro.

Kevin Durant is another player that two more years of college basketball would have helped immensly.  He has the shot and skills but doesn't have the "NBA body" that he needs to play with men instead of kids on the court.  Like they say on Wall Street though is "sell high" and their stock has never been higher and was at its ceiling.

UPDATES:

Rip Hamilton to Seattle?  Frank Hughes, Sonics Insider for The News Tribune, quoting a source from local radio station WXYT, says the Pistons are considering shipping Richard Hamilton to Seattle, for Lewis?

Gerald Wallace, one of the hottest names in free agency, has drawn interest from the Pistons.  According to the AP- The Charlotte Bobcats face heavy competition in their effort to re-sign leading scorer Gerald Wallace.   The Bobcats were one of eight teams that contacted Wallace when the NBA's free agency period began at midnight Saturday. Dallas, Orlando, Milwaukee, Detroit, Miami, Portland and Golden State all made inquiries, a person close to Wallace said Sunday.

What will we call the years from 2000 to 2009?  We have an easy reference to decades past.  For example the 80's , 90's, or the 60's for those decades.  How are we going to reference the first decade of the new millenium?  Also if anyone uses the letter O in a number they are a MO-RON

Here are a few to choose from:

1. The Zeros
2. The Pre-Teens
3. The Bush Years
4.Posts 90's
5. the Oughts?

I have no idea what will catch on but if you know, let me know!

Michael Vick is a bad guy.  First it came out that he was using the name Ron Mexico to get medical attention at clinics for VD and was also used so he could pump more chix without them really knowing who he was.  Remember last year when he flipped the bird to those Falcon fans after the game?  That was classy!  Now if it is true, dog fighting?  It is now said that he was a big baller in the dog fighting scene back in 2000.  The informant said his dog beat Vick's dog in 2000, the year before Vick was chosen by the Falcons with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. But wait a minute!!  How could Vick be a big baller while he was still in school at VA Tech?  During this investigation they seized 66 dogs, 55 of them pit bulls, and equipment that could be associated with dog fighting.  Where was all the funding coming from?  How would you like this guy to be the face of your teams franchise?

MILWAUKEE - A thief found out the hard way that robbing a woman isn't the best way to capture her heart.  Two hosers robbed a U-Haul store.  But instead of fleeing, one man lingered and tried to strike up a conversation with the woman he had just robbed.  "He stuck around and was trying to get the female employee's number," U-Haul general manager Patrick Sobocinski said. "She said he was just saying, 'Hey baby, you're pretty fine."  "She said he was saying, "Can I get your number and go out sometime," Sobocinski said.


source of the last two stories is from the AP

When you think of the sport of wrestling you either think of WWE or Olympics.  Which brings me to this question.  Who is the greatest champion in each style?  Is it longevity or is it being an underdog defying all odds? 

Here is a quick Bio on both styles to help you answer the question below:

US OLYMPIC:


Rulon Gardner- defeated Alexander Karelin, a three time Olympic champion, hadn't lost a match in 13 years, hadn't lost a point in a decade.  This win is called the "Miracle on the Mat".  He also won a Bronze in 2004.

Cael Sanderson- Four-time high school champion. Four-time NCAA champion at Iowa State and Olympic Champion.  He is also the only undefeated four time NCAA champion.

Steve Fraser - The first U.S. Olympic gold medal winner in 1984 and All American wrestler at Michigan.  Fraser has served as coach of the US Greco Roman team since 1997.  Rulon Gardner credits Fraser's instruction as a large part of his wrestling success.

Kurt Angle - Angle captured the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games.  He also was a six time WWE champion as well.  As an ameteur he won 2 NCAA titles and he won a gold medal at the World Championships in Atlanta.



WWE:

Bob Backlund- WWE champion for just under six years from 2/78 to 12/83 (2,135 days).  Backlund's second reign,  lasted a mere three days in November 1994.

Hulk Hogan - WWE champion for four strat years from 1/84 to 2/88 (1,474 days).  The Hulkster has won the WWE and WCW Championships an unprecedented six times each, with a near 20-year span between his first and last title victory. He has also held the World Tag Team Championship with Edge, and won back-to-back Royal Rumbles in 1990 and 1991.

Bruno Sammartino- Bruno had two long title runs.  He also has the record for the longest reigning  WWE champion as well.  From 5/63 to 1/71 a record 2,803 days and from 12/73 to 4/77 1,237 days which earned him the nickname the "Italian Superman"

Fabulous Moolah - Moolah was the Womens champion almost 28 years.  From 9/56 to 7/84 she held the title like no other ever has.  A champion from the 50's to the 80's!



here is the poll link to vote on this

1. Will Calvin Johnson will make a big difference in Detroit?  He was the number two pick in the draft and the Lions did need a number two WR.  However one thing is for sure, having a great WR corp has worked really well for the Arizona Cardinals hasn't it?

2. How is it no one ever saw a guy named Magic Johnson getting a sexually transmitted disease such as HIV?  Had the name not already been taken I would have named my unit that.

3. Dallas got knocked out by Golden State.  It is one of the bigger upsets in NBA playoff history, but Golden State did have their number the entire season going 3-0 vs the Mavs.  Just remember it is all about the match-up.  This is why they say any given Sunday in the NFL, it is all about the match-up.

4. Many fans of the Detroit Lions say that Mike Martz will be gone next year as he would take a head coaching job somewhere else.  However if Martz was such a hot coaching prospect he would not have been beaten out in so many jobs this off season.  He was beat out by rookies and Norv Turner for jobs.  To me that says a lot.

5. So many people have opinions and predictions on games but never really back them up.  Predictions and opinions are like butts, every one has them and most of them stink!  However there is a site that you can put all your predictions in stone (well actually encrypted data).  The site is FanIQ.  Here is the link to see just how smart you really are.

1. Was I supposed to feel bad for Brady Quinn? It was the biggest day of his life. He got drafted in the first round by his hometown team that also got the guy who is going to protect his back side too. When he went into the private suite, how come ESPN was in there? That6 seemed like a very public suite to me. Also Suzy Colber, I know how Quinn was feeling, I had his mug on my TV set for four hours!!!!!

2. The Lions drafted another WR in round one in the top 10. As they drafted Calvin Johnson (also known as CJ) a 6-5 240 WR from Georgia Tech, they traded away another top 10 WR named "Big" Mike Williams (also know as BMW) who was 6-5 240. The Lions wanted BMW to play at 220 lbs but had trouble staying under 230 lbs. BMW always said he hadn't been 220 lbs since high school and played at 230-240 lbs. The big difference from CJ to BMW is character, talent, and heart.

3. The Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell a QB who can get the ball deep and they trade away Randy Moss who was wasting away in Oakland without the QB they just drafted. Then they traded for BMW from Detroit who the Lions couldn't get rid of fast enough. This kind of transaction is another reason why they had the number one pick this year.

4. The NHL playoffs have been great. Watching Hockey Night in Canada is something every American should have access to in their areas cable and satellite. CBC shows hockey a little differently. The color of the camera lens and clarity of the crowd noise is unparalleled. This is the only time I even watch other teams play. The perspective and analysis as well as banter between Don Cherry and (insert name here) is great.

5. I think I have had my share of the Yankees/Red Sox overkill on ESPN.

6. Matt Millen drafted another WR in the top 10? Why not, having a great WR corp has worked so great for Arizona!!

7. The Dolphins drafted Ted Ginn jr. instead of Brady Quinn?

8. Please stop showing the tape of Brady Quinn saying "that’s a surprise" and "wow"

9.Is it just me or has anyone ever saw Jim Carey and former Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in the same room at the same time?

10. Randy Moss got traded to the Patriots, that is just what Tom Brady needed to finally win a Super Bowl errrrrrrr a fourth one.

11. Is there really a "Torre Watch" in New York? Is the media going to get him fired or is it the poor play of the team? He knows how to win World Series but is off to a slow start this year. Maybe the huge money contracts George Steinbrenner has to hand out to get players to play there is just too much pressure to perform. Most people in sports know that 90% of sports is mental. Even John Madden said on Madden 06 "they say the game of football is 90% mental and half physical". That is 140%!

12.  Draft grades are out.....ALREADY?  Isn't it a bit early to give grades on players that have not even attended a mini camp yet.  It may be a few YEARS too early to judge a teams draft.  Lets publish grades for drafts at the five year mark, my guess is that many teams would have very low grades due to the career span of NFL players.  Having said that the Browns had a great draft!!

13.  Still using the BCS system?  If the NCAA keeps up this kind of format I am going to start blaming them for the war in Iraq.

  This is one of those "my dad always told me" type deals where the Detroit Lions have the number two pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.  The Lions are very interested in defensive end Gaines Adams from Clemson.  So based on the latter advice the Lions need to draft anyone else.

  Actually they are likely to take Adams.  The Lions just don't want to select him number two overall.  They would much rather draft him 4th or later.  This is for two reasons. 

First the Lions don't want to pay him number two money when they don't have to.  If they trade down he is likely to be on the board as late as the number eight pick. 

The second thing this does is gets the Lions more draft picks.  The Lions already have the first two hours reserved for the begining of round five.  The Lions have four picks in the fifth round.

The Lions also need the Raiders to draft JaMarcus Russell so that Calvin Johnson is available.  Tampa Bay and Atlanta bot want CJ and the Lions will be a happy suitor to their bids.

  I know you thought you would never read that line.  All you ever hear is how bad o####M Matt Millen is.  Today I will show you that maybe he really isn't that bad after all.  Well for starters, he never had a number one overall pick bust like so many other GMs have in the past.  Cleveland had Tim Couch at number one overall and Couch isn't even in the league anymore.  They should have taken Donavon McNabb.  Remember though he was the guy Philly fans booed when he was selected number two just ahead of Cincinnati's bust, Akili Smith.  Also don't forget that same draft in 1999 the Saints traded away every pick to get Texas RB Ricky Williams.

Soooo back to defending Millen's moves.  He still has five of the last seven first round picks on the roster.  It made sense at the time and is still a running joke among Lions fans that drafting another WR in the first round is to give Joey more "weapons!"  Now as it stands Charles Rogers is trying to just get another shot, Joey is backing up Ron Mexico in Atlanta, and "BMW" Big Mike Williams may be cut or traded after June 1st.  Not to worry though.  The Lions will be near a 50% roster change.  They did finish with a whopping 18 players on IR last season.  That is almost two full first teams for offense and defense.  They have brought in a lot of lineman as well, which they needed.  Ross Verba was a bum and Damien Woody is so overweight he has step on two scales to weigh in these days, and he is down 30lbs......again.

This years draft, Millen has a lot of options.  He has used options well in the past as well.  In 2004 he traded down with Cleveland to draft Roy Williams and later in the first round selected RB Kevin Jones.

On the other hand it doesn't matter what moves Millen has or hasn't made, the Lions have been the bottom feeders of the NFL for six years now and Lions fans have had enough.  If he was doing such a great job he wouldn't have fans staging protests against him.  Maybe this is what Jets fans should have done a long time ago.  Just look at this clip from youtube.com and see just what the Jets have done in drafts past.  Jets fans you may get sick by watching this, but hey, this is a article trying to defend Matt Millen and it is pretty hard with out your help.

Ivan Rodriguez is in the last year of his four year contract. There is a club option for next season. The Tigers may just utilize that option due to not having a clear cut replacement. Pudge is also closing in on some milestones as well. If he can sustain regular play, in two more seasons he will set the all time games caught record surpassing Carlton Fisk’s record of 2.226 games. He is also in reach of something no catcher has ever done, have 3,000 hits for a career. He would likely have to play four to five more seasons to do that though. The other question would be, Is he going to catch for four to five more seasons?

Pudge has had some great offensive and defensive years. He is a career .304 hitter and he is quick out of the gate this season hitting .381 with two home runs including a three-run game winner in Kansas City. He is also a 13 time All-Star. Rodriguez topped all major league catchers by throwing out 45.7 percent of base-runners attempting to steal 21 of 46, led all American League catchers with a .998 fielding percentage, his two errors were the fewest by any league catcher with a minimum of 100 games caught during the season. And was named the best defensive catcher in the American League by Baseball America.

He just does it all and has for his entire career. He was also named the 1999 American League MVP. It may be safe to that when Pudge reaches some of the milestones what do you think? Is Pudge Approaching Best All Time?

Rumors involving the Tigers trading before the trade deadline are going to be abundant this year. Some will have some merit as well. It is no secret that Dave Dombrowski the Tigers General Manager is not afraid to pull the trigger if the right player becomes available.

The latest involvement with the Tigers is regarding two San Fransisco Giants. One homer every series means Bonds not only would have broken the record in June but also would likely be leading the majors at the All-Star break with 28. You'd have the Yankees, Angels and Tigers tripping over each other to plug him in at DH for a run at the title. All have the type of young talent that could immediately brighten the Giants' future. The Giants may also be looking to deal Matt Morris who is in the last year of his contract. About 10 more games like Thursday's and the playoff-experienced right-hander might be the No. 1 available arm at the deadline. In the final year of his contract, he'd be the ideal rent-a-pitcher down the stretch. It depends on the health of Kenny Rogers who could be back by July.

  As of today the Raiders still hold the number one pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.  The question remains, What are they going to do with that pick?  The Lions are also still holding the number two pick, with plenty of options.

Raiders #1 - They hold the number one pick and are looking for a quarterback.  They could take Calvin Johnson as well.  JaMarcus Russell seems to be the clear cut pick for them though.  However I wouldn't be shocked if they took Brady Quinn either.  If the Raiders trade for a QB before the draft they may take Calvin Johnson or maybe even Adrian Peterson.

Lions #2- If the Raiders don't take Russell the Lions will at number two.  The Lions could even take Calvin Johnson as they have not ruled that out yet.  Tampa may have to trade into the Lions spot to get Johnson because this is the guy they want and need.  Most mock drafts have the Lions taking Brady Quinn and they could do that as well.  It is not likely they take a RB here as they have acquired Tatum Bell from the Broncos and T.J. Duckett.  Joe Thomas could be the guy at number two also.  The Lions could also trade down and then trade down again to gain even more draft picks.

Browns #3- They want and need Adrian Peterson at number three.  They may have to trade with Detroit to get him if someone else wants to move in front of Cleveland to take him.  If Peterson is gone they should take one of the QBs still available.   Charlie Frye does not appear to be the franchise QB they need.  He has looked more like Tim Couch than Bernie Kosar. 

Buccaneers #4- They have a specific need at WR that they could solidify with one pick, Calvin Johnson.  They may have to make a deal with Detroit to get him.  They definatley don't need anymore quarterbacks.  They signed Jeff Garcia, traded for Jake Plummer (retired), played Gratkowski almost all season in 2006, and have Chris Simms.  If Johnson is gone they could trade down.  One partner could be the Vikings who need a QB.

Ok so last year I posted a story about Minnesota Timberwolves Center Eddie Griffin who had smashed his SUV while driving drunk and cranking one out to porn.  That was one for sure way most fans agreed they would not have wanted to get busted.  But Griffin made his mama proud by pulling off this trifecta of nonsensical lunecy.

 Then a few months later another set of indescretions from the Detroit Lions defensive line coach Joe Cullen.  He was busted once when he drove through Tim Horton's drive thru naked.  Maybe he just wanted to see if he could use "it" as a bagel holder, who knows.  Then he was arrested for drunk driving two weeks later.

  Now comes the latest from a Wisconsin man.  He had his second arrest for similar charges.  This is the Associated Press story: 

SUPERIOR, Wis. (AP) — A 20-year-old man received probation after he was convicted of having sexual contact with a dead deer. The sentence also requires Bryan James Hathaway to be evaluated as a sex offender and treated at the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Duluth, Minn."The state believes that particular place is the best to provide treatment for the individual," Assistant District Attorney Jim Boughner said.

Hathaway's probation will be served at the same time as a nine-month jail sentence he received in February for violating his extended supervision.

His extended supervision is from guess what?  Seriously, guess what it was.  Ok I will tell you, it was from killing a horse and having intercourse with the animal afterwards.  I may be going out on a limb here but, is it just me or should this man be getting a little more than probation for this?  Is this a guy we want living about your community? 

Just another thought on how not to get busted in my humble opinion.

I can't help but notice a few celebrities and athletes that look a like or could be seperated at birth.  Lets look at a few examples:

1.  Grandpa LeBron is Greg Oden?  I may be wrong but see for yourself, plus I have never seen grandpa LeBron and Greg Oden in the same arena at the same time before either!-

 

 

 

 

vs.

 

2. This comparison involves two older guys.  Tom Arnold and Jeff George.  One married a cow to gain fame and fortune and the other is a never was in the NFL but was one hell of a college quarterback at Illinois.  judge for yourself-

 

 

 

 

 

VS.



3. Is Adam Morrison the guy from Happy Gilmore who has the nail in his head?

                  VS                

4.  Robert Horry and Will Smith seperated at birth?  Maybe not but these brothas look like brothers.

                 VS.                        

5.  "Mr Vargas from Fast Times at Ridgemont High" as Jeff Van Gundy.  He may get the same rewsults out of a basketball team though.  He wouldn't even think of grabbing a players foot while laying on the floor during a basketbrawl.

                             VS.                           

6.Barry Pepper from "61" and many other films as Dirk Nowitzki.

                                VS.                         

7.  Was Brian Billick playing the father and pastor on 7th Heaven?  Maybe he can get me Jessica Beil's digits!

                              VS.                         

8.  Matt Leinart and Bob the original "Bachelor"?  maybe it is just me thinking all white guys named Bob look alike, oh wait my name is Bob too, never mind.  I think these two Bobs sure look alike though.

                   VS.      


9. This one is a little off the sports map but can NOT be dismissed.  Is Whitley from "A Different World" Prince?  Einhorn and Finkle, Finkle and Einhorn....NOOOOOO

I don't know maybe it is just me but I had to get that out there for you to judge for your self.  Are there any I forgot?  Let me know.  I didnt even hit on NHLers and baseball players.  I know there are a lot more that I forgot.  Anyway there you have it!

  The Raiders hold the number on pick in front of Detroit.  They have been rumored almost all offseason to be ready to draft Jamarcus Russell.  Not so fast, things may change in the next few days, drastically.  Green Bay is set to trade quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Oakland for Randy Moss.  Profootballtalk.com reports that Rodgers when contacted by cell phone had been told to not comment on the trade.

  This would change the face of the draft, and here is how. 

1.  The Raiders would pass on Russell if they aquired Rodgers from Green Bay.

2.  Would they then take Calvin Johnson who some think is the best overall player in the draft.  They wouldn't take Joe Thomas the massive tackle from Wisconsin.  Maybe Adrian Peterson would be the pick. 

3. The Raiders could also trade the pick

4.  Then it would be up to the Lions to take Russell (if available) or trade their pick to get more picks.  They already have four picks in the 5th round.  Why not a few more in the early rounds.  They could use the young talent anyway.

5.  Brady Quinn would become and even bigger question Mark.

6.  The Browns could get Adrian Peterson no matter what happens.  Most teams know they are interested and may want to move in front of Cleveland to get him.

7.  Arizona needs Joe Thomas to fall to them with the loss of veteran questionable lineman Leonard Davis to Dallas.  That non signing may be the best move they could have made this off season and the near future as far as overall monotery allocation on the roster.

All of this could be triggered just by one trade.  Both sides have been quiet on the deal.  Moss was reportedly shopped for a first round pick and Green Bay countered with Aaoron Rodgers.  This may not even happen until right before the draft.  Look for it to get done eventually.

  As the weather is getting warmer across the country and grass is getting greener, baseball gets closer.  I get excited when baseball starts because that also means that the long Michigan winter is over........for the most part.

One thing I have always talked about is going on a stadium tour and wanting to see every stadium in MLB and the NFL.  But my main focus has been on a stadium tour for MLB because you can hit so many stadiums, if timed correctly, in a very short period of time.

In my personal situation I am from Michigan and could easily hit Jacob's Field in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore's Camden Yard, Boston's Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and back through to both sides of Chicago!  Even breaking these up into mini trips would be great.

I would also want to hit all the California teams as well.  Dodger Stadium, Whatever the Giants call their field now, Oakland, try to figure out where the Angels actually play, and San Diego's cool new place.

Something like this would have to be chronicled the entire way.  I would have to write a book about it with a ton of stadium pictures.  On this page are two that I took at Comerica Park in Detroit the last time I was able to be on the field before a game.

One often wonders how many people have done such stadium tours for any sport.  I am sure there have been a lot.  It is one of my dreams I would like to do in my life.