NFL Week 5

- The New York Giants looked good on both sides of the ball, showing how dangerous this team can be when they put it all together. The Giants jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, forcing Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans to throw the ball all over the field in an attempt to catch up. The Giants held Arian Foster and the Texans to a franchise-low of 24 rushing yards. Eli Manning put up solid numbers, despite throwing two interceptions. Giants' WR Hakeem Nicks was one catch short of the franchise record for receptions in a game, catching 12 balls, two of those for touchdowns. The Giants went on to win 34-10.

- The Buffalo Bills are off to their worst start in 25 years. The Bills are 0-5 after losing 36-26 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jacksonville run-game proved to be the difference, as the Jaguars ran for over 200 yards. The Jaguars may have committed three turnovers, but it was their ability to move the ball on the ground that led to an 11-minute difference in time-of-possession. Rushing yards and TOP were really the only differences in the box score, but it was enough for the Jaguars to earn the win.

- The Bengals lost again.....to the Tampa Bay Bucs, 24-21. Carson Palmer finished the game with a 58.9 passer rating, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned 11 yards for a touchdown by Tampa Bay's Cody Grimm. Palmer looks uncomfortable in the pocket at times, and his accuracy comes and goes. But the Bengals' offensive struggles are not all his fault. The Bengals' receivers are dropping balls. Three of Palmer's passes on third down were dropped by open receivers. Then you have Cedric Benson. He is without a doubt the Bengals' MVP. Benson finished with 144 yards on 23 carries. You would think that when you have a running back as effective as Benson, averaging over 6 yards per carry, you would continue to give him the ball. So Palmer's receivers AND Coach Marvin Lewis deserve some of the blame for this slow start as well. When talking about the Bengals' struggles you also have to mention the absurd amount of penalties (9 penalties for 60 yards). The Bengals continue to lead the league in false start penalties.



- The Detroit Lions destroyed the St. Louis Rams. The previously winless Lions won 44-6, led by QB Shaun Hill. Hill finished with 227 yards and three touchdowns, good enough for a QB rating of 117.6. While Detroit struggled on the ground, they made up for it with the passing game. Stefan Logan added a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. And the Lions finished off the Rams with a 42-yard interception return by Alphonso Smith with only seven minutes left to play.

- The Indianapolis Colts handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss. After only five weeks, there are no undefeated teams left in the NFL. Peyton Manning played his worst game in a couple of years, but backup running back Mike Hart came to the rescue. Hart scored the game's only touchdown with four minutes left in the game to give the Colts the 19-12 victory.

- The Washington Redskins kicked their way to an overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers. The Redskins scored 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, including a Graham Gano field goal with a minute left, to send the game into overtime. Packers' kicker Mason Crosby missed a field goal from 53 yards out that would've won the game for Green Bay in regulation. In overtime, Graham Gano kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Redskins the win, 13-10. The Packers not only lost the game, but they lost starting tight end Jermichael Finley to a knee injury, which will sideline him for several weeks. And quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion that could keep him out next week as well.


- You don't need a quarterback to win in Chicago. All you need is Matt Forte. Bears' quarterback Todd Collins threw for 32 yards and four interceptions...22 of those yards to running back Matt Forte. Forte dominated the Carolina Panthers defense, racking up 166 yards on the ground, including two touchdowns. Forte and the Bears' defense led Chicago to a 23-6 victory over the winless Carolina Panthers.



- Ray Rice ran over the Denver Broncos. Rice ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Willis McGahee added another 67 yards on the ground and a touchdown of his own. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco didn't need to have a big game, and he didn't. But Flacco managed the game and did just enough (14/25 for 196 yards) for the Ravens to beat the Denver Broncos, 31-17. Broncos' quarterback Kyle Orton had a big day (22/38 for 314 yards, 2 TDs) in a losing effort. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was the beneficiary of Orton's big day, catching five balls for 135 yards and two touchdowns.


- Undrafted rookie quarterback Max Hall led the Arizona Cardinals to a victory over the defending champs. Hall and the Cardinals took advantage of the Saints' four turnovers to win, 30-20. The Cardinals scored 30 points without a passing or rushing touchdown, becoming only the second team in NFL history to do so. Arizona score three times on defense, accounting for all three of the Cardinals' touchdowns. Levi Brown returned a fumble 2 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. Kerry Rhodes returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, both in the fourth quarter, to seal the victory.

- The Atlanta Falcons beat the battered Cleveland Browns, 20-10. The Falcons scored a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left in the game, sealing the victory. Atlanta defensive end Kroy Biermann intercepted a pass and rumbled 41 yards for the touchdown. The Browns' tarting running back Peyton Hillis has a pulled quadriceps muscle. And the Cleveland quarterbacks are beat up as well. Seneca Wallace left the game with an ankle injury, and Jake Delhomme has had his own ankle issues. Coly McCoy is the only other quarterback on the roster, so the Browns could be in bad shape if Wallace or Delhomme aren't healthy going forward.




- The Cowboys essentially gave away the game against the Tennessee Titans. Tony Romo threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. With three turnovers and 12 penalties for 133 yards the Cowboys may have been lucky to be in the game against the Titans. After Romo hit Jason Witten for a game-tying touchdown with a little over four minutes left, the Cowboys were hit with a penalty for excessive celebration. In my opinion, the penalty was ridiculous, but in late-game situations, you shouldn't put yourself in that position in the first place. Hand the ball to the referee and go on. That penalty pushed back the kickoff. After a long return the Titans were in a good position to regain the lead. And they did so after Chris Johnson scored a 1-yard touchdown with 3:28 left on the clock. Romo threw his third pick of the game on the ensuing drive, and the Titans hung on to win, 34-27. The Cowboys, at 1-3, are off to their worst start in nine years. The Titans' Chris Johnson finished with 2 touchdowns and 131 yard on the ground.

- The Oakland Raiders needed everything they could get to beat the San Diego Chargers. The Raiders began the afternoon with a safety. Then kicker Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 50-yard field goal. Later in the first quarter the Raiders blocked a punt and Hiram Eugene returned it for a touchdown. After scoring in a more conventional manner the next two quarters (another Janikowski field goal, Zach Miller reception, Michael Bush run) the Raiders added a 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. San Diego lost 35-27 despite quarterback Philip Rivers' 431 yards passing and two touchdowns. It was the second time in Rivers' career he has thrown for over 430 yards and lost. Chargers' wide receiver Malcolm Floyd had a huge day, with 213 receiving yards a touchdown. Floyd became the second receiver this year to go over 200 yards. The other being the Bengals' Terrell Owens.

- The 49ers remain winless. The Philadelphia Eagles took advantage of San Francisco's five turnovers and ten penalties to win 27-24. The 49ers were a trendy pick to win the NFC West before the season began. Now at 0-5 that seems like a lost cause. But there is time to turn it around, especially in a weak division.

- The New York Jets spoiled Randy Moss's return to Minnesota. Moss caught 4 balls for 81 yards in his first game back with the Vikings. One catch was a 37-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre. Favre threw another two touchdown passes to receiver Percy Harvin. But the Vikings were down by two late in the fourth quarter, when Favre threw his only interception of the game. The Jets' Dwight Lowery returned the interception 26-yards for a touchdown, giving New York a 9-point lead. The Jets held on to win, 29-20.

Randy Moss back in the Twin Cities

Brett Favre is one happy old man this morning. Minnesota has acquired WR Randy Moss from the New England Patriots. What did they have to give up? Only a 3rd round pick in next year's draft. It was clear Moss was unhappy in New England, so the fact the Patriots dumped Moss is no surprise. But the Patriots gave up Tom Brady's best and most feared offensive weapon for a future draft pick. The emergence of rookie tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski have been great for the Patriots' passing game. But New England must be extremely confident in WR Brandon Tate's ability to be a legit deep threat to trade Moss.


This was a great move for the Minnesota Vikings. Once Sidney Rice comes back from injury, the Vikings may have the best group of wide receivers in the league. How do you defend Moss, Rice, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe, with Adrian Peterson in the backfield? Good luck to those that will try. The Patriots, on the other hand, may regret this move in December when they're battling the New York Jets for the AFC East title.

NFL Week 4

The NFL Week 4 recap is a little shorter than usual. I've been extremely busy at work and there have been some family issues that have required my attention.
I hope that next week the blog, and the NFL recap, will be back to normal.


- Tom Brady earned his 100th career victory as the Patriots pounded the Dolphins, 41-14. Randy Moss was held without a catch for the first time in over three years. It was New England's Patrick Chung who was the star of the night. He blocked two kicks and had a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Patriots had three touchdowns on defense/special teams. New England is now tied with the New York Jets for first-place in the AFC East.


- The Falcons won on a second straight game on a game-winning field goal by kicker Matt Bryant. The 49ers jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Falcons scored 16 unanswered points, including three field goals by Bryant, to win 16-14.


- For the first time in two years, LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for at least 100 yards. Tomlinson rushed 19 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Shonn Greene added another 117 yards on the ground. Jets' QB Mark Sanchez threw for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns, good for a 106.4 QB rating, leading the Jets to a 38-14 victory over the winless Buffalo Bills.. Sanchez still hasn't thrown an interception this season. And next week the Jets will only get better; WR Santonio Holmes, CB Darrelle Revis, and LB Calvin Pace are set to return next week against the Vikings.

- The Bengals lost to the Browns. No comment.

- Joe Flacco is growing up. With the Ravens down 4 to the Steelers, Flacco hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh with an 18-yard pass for a touchdown, leaving only 30 seconds on the clock. The Ravens, led by Flacco, won a hard fought game against the previously undefeated Steelers. The Ravens now have wins on the road against the Jets and Steelers. Baltimore won at home against Cleveland. The Ravens' only loss came on the road against defending AFC North Champion Cincinnati.


- Jay Cutler is lucky to be alive. Cutler was sacked nine times in the first half against the New York Giants. The Giants' pass rushers made it through the Bears' offensive line with ease, and Cutler couldn't get rid of the ball fast enough. The last of the sacks caused a concussion, forcing Cutler to sit the rest of the game. The Giants went on to win, 17-3.

- The Jaguars had an answer for a late-game touchdown drive by Peyton Manning. The teams were never separated by more than 7 points, as the teams went back and forth from the opening kickoff. The Jaguars went up by 7 on a Maurice Jones-Drew touchdown with a little over two minutes left. As he's done many times before, Peyton Manning led the Colts down the field in less than 80 seconds, finishing the drive with a touchdown pass to Austin Collie. So the game is over, right? Not this time. David Garrard got the Jaguars into field goal range...well, at least close enough for kicker Josh Scobee. Scobee kicked a 59-yard field goal as time expired to give the Jaguars the win, 31-28.

- Other scores from Week 4:

Green Bay Packers 28 Detroit Lions 26
Denver Broncos 26 Tennessee Titans 20
St. Louis Rams 20 Seattle Seahawks 3
Houston Texans 31 Oakland Raiders 24
San Diego Chargers 41 Arizona Cardinals 10
Washington Redskins 17 Philadelphia Eagles 14
New Orleans Saints 16 Carolina Panthers 14

Reds being investigated...

The Cincinnati Reds have won their first division title in 15 years. The postgame celebration was nothing out of the ordinary; lots of yelling and jumping around, some champagne spraying, and some cigar smoking. But the aftermath of that celebration is anything but ordinary.

Reds' owner Bob Castellini joined the team in the clubhouse after the game to celebrate. Castellini was seen on TV passing out victory cigars, and lighting one up himself. That's when at least five people who were watching the celebration on TV reported the organization for violating Ohio's indoor-smoking ban. And yes, I'm serious. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the five people called the state's smoking ban complaint hotline. Now, the Cincinnati Health Department will investigate. A health inspector will make a surprise visit to Great American Ball Park within the next 30 days.

Jane Prendergast, from the Enquirer writes,

"If the inspector sees someone smoking, the Reds will be sent a letter notifying them of the violation, which the team can appeal. No fine is attached to any initial violation. If another complaint is filed and an inspector responds again to the ballpark and sees someone smoking, the Reds could be fined $100. The fine escalates to $500 after that."

I'm a non-smoker. I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I think indoor-smoking bans are a great idea. BUT, I just want to say, this is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. The people that made the anonymous complaints weren't even there. So why was it necessary to make that phone call? The people that made those phone calls must lead miserable lives. Or it was just a couple of idiots with nothing better to do. With that being said, it was probably Yadier Molina and Chris Carpenter.

link to the article in the Cincinnati Enquirer... http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100930/SPT04/10010340/1055/NEWS/Reds-cigars-bring-complaints

Trouble in East Lansing

According to The Michigan Messenger two Michigan State University basketball players are in trouble, accused of sexual assault. The incident occurred in August, and the two players involved are described as "high-profile."

The MSU police department recommended the men be charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct 1, but Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III has declined to prosecute the case.

For more information about the case, you can read the entire article by Todd A. Heyward of The Michigan Messenger here http://michiganmessenger.com/42253/msu-sexual-assault

In the article, Heyward writes,

"Michigan Messenger is not naming the players because they have not been arrested or charged with a crime. The names have been confirmed by law enforcement and other sources, as well as Dunnings, who released the police report after Messenger filed a Freedom of Information Act request citing the names of the accused. Messenger does not report the names of sexual assault victims without their consent."

While I definitely agree the victim's name should be withheld, the names of the two players being accused in this case need to be released. We're talking about a group of 12-14 young men. Two of the players have been accused of committing a crime. The other members of the team are NOT INVOLVED. It's ridiculous to withhold the names of the two men who are involved. Speculation around East Lansing, and around the MSU campus (and around the country once the national media picks up the story - some already have) will run wild. While I don't think any member of the media would speculate publicly, many people will begin to formulate their opinions, thus resulting in rumors. If you were a Michigan State basketball player, how would you feel? Two of your teammates have been accused of a sick, disgusting crime, and everyone knows about it. But until the names are released someone may think it was you, because the Michigan Messenger is sitting on that information. Withholding the names of the two men accused in this incident is irresponsible, and unfair to the MSU players that are not involved.

2010 NL Central Division Champions

After 9 straight losing seasons and a 15-year playoff drought, the Reds are in. Last night the Reds clinched the NL Central Division on a walk-off homerun by rightfielder Jay Bruce. In the bottom of the 9th, with the game tied at 2, Jay Bruce homered on the first pitch he saw from the Astros' Tim Byrdak. Bruce became the fifth player in MLB history to hit a walk-off homerun to clinch a playoff spot.


The Reds last made the playoffs in 1995. It's been 20 years since they've won the World Series. But it feels like an eternity. I was only six-years-old when the Reds swept the defending champion Oakland A's to win the 1990 World Series. Some of my all-time favorite players were a part of that Reds team; Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Eric Davis, Paul O'Neil, and the "Nasty Boys." The Reds were playing a "pre-steroids" Mark McGwire and the heavily favored Oakland A's.


The Reds pounded the A's in Game 1, behind an Eric Davis homerun and the start of Billy Hatcher's streak of seven consecutive hits. Game 2 went into extra innings with the Reds winning in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off single by Joe Oliver. In Game 3, Chris Sabo hit two homeruns and the Reds won decisively. Jose Rijo retired 20 consecutive batters in Game 4, leading the Reds to their first World Series championship in 14 years. Rijo was named World Series MVP.

The Reds are making their second playoff appearance since that 1990 World Series Championship and the first since 1995. They came close in 1999, losing a playoff for a wild-card berth against the New York Mets. The Reds finished with a winning-record in 2000, but still didn't make the playoffs. In the last fifteen years the Reds have been through three owners, five general managers, and seven managers. Ray Knight, Jack McKeon, Bob Boone, Dave Miley, Jerry Narron, and Pete Mackanin all tried to lead the Reds back to the playoffs after Davey Johnson did it in 1995. And after the Reds hired Dusty Baker it didn't get any better. Baker's first two seasons in Cincinnati were awful, finishing 5th (74-88) in 2008 and 4th (78-84) in 2009. But Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty had faith in Dusty. As it turns out, it was a great decision.

Baker deserves alot of credit for leading this young team to the playoffs. No one expected the Reds to be here. And they've done it by being good on offense and defenese, at every position. Cincinnati is a solid defensive team; 1B Joey Votto, 2B Brandon Phillips, 3B Scott Rolen, SS Orlando Cabrera, LF Jonny Gomes, CF Drew Stubbs, and RF Jay Bruce all rank in the top-6 in fielding percentage in the National League. And the Reds are even better swinging the bat. Currently, the Reds lead the National League in runs scored (768), batting average (.271), hits (1461), home runs (181), slugging percentage (.435), and they're tied for first in on-base percentage (.338). Arthur Rhodes, Scott Rolen, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto were NL All-Stars. Votto should win the National League MVP. And newcomer Aroldis Chapman (RP) is the most exciting player in baseball.


The Reds go into the postseason with some question marks. In my opinion the biggest question concerns the bullpen, and more specifically, Reds' closer Francisco Cordero. Can Cordero get it together? Cordero has a 6.75 ERA in his last 9.1 innings. He has given up 15 hits and 7 earned runs. I'm not worried about the offense. I'm not even worried about the sometimes inconsistent pitching staff. But the lack of a dominant closer can doom a team in the postseason. Hopefully CoCo will come through in October.

Even with some concerns, I'm going into the postseason optimistic. I'm happy and content with a division title and playoff appearance. How could you not be after being a Reds fan for the past 20 years? But I want the Redlegs to make a run. My 1990 World Series Championship t-shirt is getting really thin and worn out. I want a new one.

NFL Week 3

- Anquan Boldin catches alot of balls. Boldin caught 8 passes for 142 yards and 3 touchdowns on Sunday. He has 606 receptions in 98 games, reaching 600 catches in the fewest amount of games in NFL history. Oh, and the Ravens beat the Browns.

- The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0...half way to their win total from the last two seasons combined. The Chiefs were 4-12 last year and 2-14 in 2008. The Chiefs beat the 49ers, 31-10.

- Garrett Hartley is one lonely dude tonight. It's his fault the Saints are 2-1 instead of 3-0. New Orleans lost to the Atlanta Falcons in overtime after Hartley missed a 29-yard chip shot. After the missed field goal by Hartley, the Falcons' Matt Bryant kicked a 46-yard game-winner. And now, an excerpt from Adam Sandler's song, "The Lonesome Kicker."

"Once again, I'm ignored by my teammates and all my coaches
"Go back where you came from!" Scream 70,000 fans
Well, I know I could win their love back
By catching a winning touch-down
But, unfortunately, I was born with these very small hands

And I hope that the cameras don't come in too close
'Cause they might see the tears in my eyes
As I sit on this bench made of cold-hearted wood
And the splinters go deep in my thighs
And the towel boy snickers as he walks by
The Lonesome Kicker"

- The New York Giants beat the New York Giants, with Tennessee picking up the win.

- The freakin' Pittsburgh Steelers continue to win without Big Ben. I was really looking forward to them being in a hole when Worthlessberger came back. Instead, they sit atop the AFC North at 3-0. Charlie Batch played his best game as a Steeler, and Pittsburgh beat Tampa Bay 38-13.


- Cedric Benson is the Bengals offense. He scored both of Cincy's touchdowns. Carson Palmer struggled again. But the defense (and Ced) stepped up for Cincinnati, as the Bengals beat the Panthers and rookie QB Jimmy Clausen, 20-7.

- Wade Phillips can breathe a little easier. The Dallas Cowboys actually showed up today, including Roy Williams and Marion Barber, giving Wade a little more time in "Big D." The Cowboys proved they can be legit contenders in the NFC. The Cowboys beat the Houston Texans, 27-13.



- Sam Bradford earned his first win as a starter in the NFL. The Rams beat Donovan McNabb and the Redskins 30-16, behind a solid performance by the rookie, Bradford. He wasn't great, but he was good enough. The running back duo of Steven Jackson and Kenneth Darby may have had a little to do with the win, combining for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Redskins weren't good when they really needed to be, going 1-10 on third down and 0-3 in the red zone.

- Peyton Manning is really good. Manning was missing two of his favorite targets, but Austin Collie stepped up for his quarterback. Collie caught 12 passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns. Broncos' QB Kyle Orton threw for a whopping 476 yards, but that wasn't enough to overcome 2 turnovers and 60 yards of penalties. The Colts won, 27-13, to move to 2-1 on the season.


- Tom Brady is also really good. Brady completed 78% of his passes for 252 yards and 3 touchdowns. That was good enough for a 142.6 QB rating. The Patriots defense gave up 30 points to the Buffalo Bills, but Brady, Moss, and company were good for 38 points as the Patriots moved to 2-1.

- I'm sick of Brett Favre and it's only week 3. The Vikings beat the Lions 24-10, thanks to Adrian Peterson's 160 yards and 2 touchdowns.

- Michael Vick destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Eagles beat the Jags 28-3 and Vick accounted for all 4 of the Eagles' touchdowns. Vick threw for 291 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed for 30 yards and 1 TD. He looked comfortable in the pocket and he didn't run unless he needed to. Looks like Andy Reid made the right decision.

- Maybe Sebastian Janikowski and Garrett Hartley can be friends. After making 19 consecutive field goals between 30 and 39 yards, Janikowski missed a 32-yard field goal that would've won the game for Oakland. The Raiders lost to the Cardinals, 24-23. Janikowski also missed a 41-yarder and a 58-yarder.

- What did the Seahawks need to beat the Chargers? How about two Leon Washington kickoff return touchdowns. Washington returned the opening kickoff of the 2nd half 101-yards for a touchdown. Then, in the 4th quarter after the Chargers tied the game at 20, Washington returned a kickoff 99-yards for another touchdown. The Seahawks won 27-20, despite a 455-yard performance by Chargers' QB Philip Rivers.

- Seeing Braylon Edwards playing football tonight made me want to punch someone. Well, not just anyone, maybe Edwards or Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum, or Woody Johnson. Or maybe all four.

- What a rough Monday night for the Packers. Mason Crosby had a 37-yard field goal blocked. A Jay Cutler pass over the middle was picked off late in the 4th quarter, but a roughing the passer penalty negated the interception. Packers' WR James Jones fumbled the ball with a little over 2 minutes left, giving the Bears great field position. And with less than 60 seconds left another inteception was negated by another penalty, this time a defensive pass interference call on the Packers' Morgan Burnett. This set up a game-winning field goal by the Bears' Robbie Gould with only seconds remaining. Despite the absurd number of penalties (17 for 145 yards), the turnovers, and dropped passes the Packers were in the game all night. Aaron Rodgers deserved to win the game. Jay Cutler didn't. But the Packers' mistakes and Devin Hester's 62-yard punt-return touchdown bailed him out. The Bears remain undefeated and the Packers move to 2-1.

- An 18-game NFL season is a "done deal?" Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian said today,

"I think that the owners, and principally the commissioner, have decided that it's the way to go, and so the debate, such as it was, is over."

Although the NFL has yet to comment on Polian's remarks, it's looking more and more likely this is the direction the NFL is heading. I think they're making a mistake, but as of right now, no official decision has been made.


- Tim Tebow was demoted to the 3rd-string quarterback by the Denver Broncos. Broncos' coach Josh McDaniels better watch out this week...

Bledsoe Report and a few random notes

- The independent law firm that was investigating Eric Bledsoe's transcript released its report yesterday. After wasting alot of time and thousands of dollars, they found...nothing. Basically the law firm doesn't believe the reasons the teacher gave for changing the grade. The teacher and superintendent stand behind the grade change, saying that after Bledsoe made up work he earned the 'A' in Algebra III. The school board plans to take no action, making it unlikely the NCAA will take any action against UK. The NCAA and UK will still meet to discuss the report, but UK spokesperson Dewayne Peevy said as far as the University of Kentucky is concerned, the matter is closed.

and some random notes from this week...

- Free Enes.


- Michael Vick has been named the starting QB for the Eagles, prompting the Philadelphia Daily News to print a distasteful, offensive headline on the front page of Wednesday's paper. The headline reads, "Top Dog." The man has paid his debt to society, but some media members refuse to let it go.

- Carmelo Anthony to the Nets? That would be HUGE for the New Jersey Nets, who missed out on all of the top-tier free agents over the summer. He's a punk, but a punk that can turn around a struggling franchise.

- MLB commissioner Bud Selig plans to look into the possibility of expanding the playoffs. Great, let's make a season many think is too long already, even longer. If he thinks expanding the number of teams for the playoffs will help his league compete with the NFL and college football for ratings and attention in October and November, he's sadly mistaken.



- Tom Brady needs a haircut. He looks ridiculous. Maybe Troy Polamalu will ask Brady to join him in those stupid Head & Shoulders commercials.

- Blue turf is stupid. Go Beavers!