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There are plenty of cliches associated with sports, but I think the most well-known of all of them has to be "it ain't over 'til it's over".  That sentiment is especially true in the NFL, where the entire outcome of a game can hinge on one dramatic play.  And sometimes, 60 minutes just isn't enough time to determine the winner -- which was the case in several games this week.  So in this edition of the Wrap-Up, let's take a look at a few of the Week 12 games that were decided in sudden-death overtime.

San Diego Chargers over Washington Redskins
The Chargers were trailing by a score of 17-7 entering the 4th Quarter, but with a weapon like running back LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield, the team never says die until the final seconds tick off the clock.  After a Nate Kaeding field goal brought the score to 17-10, Tomlinson took charge.  He rushed for 76 yards in the 4th quarter alone, which included a 32-yard touchdown to tie the game.  Tomlinson then broke off a 41-yard touchdown run in overtime to lift the Chargers to a 23-17 victory.  The outstanding back finished the game with 184 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.

St. Louis Rams over Houston Texans
Most teams that have a 10-point lead with just 30 seconds left to play in regulation would probably start thinking the victory is a sure thing.  Not so for the lowly Houston Texans.  The Texans were leading 27-17 with a half a minute left in the 4th Quarter, but they ended up blowing the lead and losing the game in overtime.  The Rams' third-string quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was playing in his first-ever NFL game, hit wide receiver Isaac Bruce for a 43-yard touchdown to make the score 27-24.  The Rams then recovered the on-side kick (which rarely happens) and marched down the field for a 47-yard Jeff Wilkins field goal to send the game to overtime.  In the extra period, the Texans got the ball first, but were unable to score.  Then when the Rams took over, Fitzpatrick connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis to give St. Louis a 33-27 victory.  

Seattle Seahawks over New York Giants
The Giants had three chances to put the game away, but kicker Jay Feely missed three crucial field-goal attempts that allowed the Seahawks to hang around and eventually win the game in overtime.  With the score tied at 21-21, Feely missed a 40-yard field goal attempt with just 0:04 left in regulation that would have given the Giants a victory.  Then, in overtime, Feely missed field goals of 54 and 45 yards that also would have sealed the win.  Finally, Seattle's Josh Brown converted a 36-yarder with 3:21 remaining in OT to put the Seahawks on top 24-21.  Prior to this game, Feely had made 23 out of 25 field goal attempts on the season.

Well, there's your quick look at the common thread of the NFL's Week 12.  Check back next week for a recap of the best action of Week 13!

Written by James Fohl

When I look back to my childhood memories, and think about the sports I played, a lot come to mind. I played baseball, basketball, and even went to the driving range to hit golf balls with my father every now and then. I, just like every other young baseball player always had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player; at the age of nine.

I remember playing Little League baseball, and even though I wasn't the best player, or any where near the best player on the team I always gave it my all, and practiced every day. I would throw a tennis ball against the side of my family's house for hours, not only to pass time away but also to help with my fielding skills, all in hopes that I would be the next All Star Major League baseball player. I would play bat ball with pretty much anybody that would throw the ball towards me, even strangers.

I remember getting into penny arguments with other kids about which of us would play for which teams, and can even remember looking out at the benches for our parents to sit at and searching for the Major League scouts.

Yeah, we were only eight or nine years old, and we never really thought about the whole playing in the Major Leagues issue. I mean, we were kids and we didn't know that there was an age limit for a team to sign a player, and we never realized that there weren't any kids playing with the guys during Major League baseball games.

Eventually around the age of ten or eleven, my friends and I started to do other things in life besides play baseball twelve hours a day. Not only did other hobbies come to us, but also the harsh reality that there weren't any ten year olds playing in the Major Leagues, and even though we could throw a fast ball at forty five miles an hour (after a hundred tries) we just weren't going to be Major League material.

Looking back on the whole ordeal, it was kind of funny, however it really made me happy during those summers playing baseball. It kept me busy, and it gave me a hobby that I would enjoy for the rest of my life. I really admire the parents of the players, including mine because they put up with the whole ordeal; it would have been so easy for them just to tell us that we were never going to play in the Major Leagues as kids and that there was no reason we had to constantly be playing baseball.

So if you are a parent and have a child whose playing a sport in a manner that they believe they are going to be playing in the professional leagues in a couple months, don't try and explain to them the harsh reality. If you just go along with, eventually they will discover the truth for themselves, but they will have lots of memories for the years to come.

Charlie Weis inaugural season at Notre Dame will not end with a National Championship - but the long-time professional assistant has awakened the Irish ghosts with the team's strong 9-2 season and upcoming appearance in one of the premiere year end Bowl games associated with the Bowl Championship Series.

The Irish had to work until the final minute to pull of a season ending victory over Stanford. First Irish running back Darius Walker ran 6 yards for the winning touchdown with 55 seconds remaining, then he converted the 2-point conversion to lead the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish to a 38-31 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday night.

Though once again the Irish rode the strong arm of Brady Quinn, who completed 25 of 38 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns, Notre Dame overcame a missed extra point and field goal, along with two Quinn interceptions to eke out the win. Walker was among the key men to step up, running for a career-high 186 yards on 35 carries, in leading the Irish to their fifth straight win after their last second defeat to number one USC.

In addition, the Irish continued to ride the phenomenal play of their top two receivers, Jeff Samardzija and Maurice Stovall. Samardzija continued his rewrite of the Notre Dame record books, increasing his single-season touchdown receptions mark to 15. The wide receiver caught nine passes for a career-high 216 yards and became Notre Dame's third ever career 1,000-yard single-season receiver. While Samardzija had the better stats, Maurice Stovall also had a very strong game with seven catches for 136 yards and a TD.

Many have now begun the what if game for Weis. But for two last second losses the Irish could actually be ranked at that number one spot. A 44-41 overtime loss in their third game against Michigan State is the only other blemish on the Irish season. So but for a couple of plays the Irish could easily have gone 11-0 in Weis' first year at South Bend.

But in settling for the 9-2 mark, the Irish also understand that many other things broke their way. First, a decidedly difficult schedule became easier when powerhouse Tennessee and normally strong programs at Pittsburgh and Syracuse had down years. In fact as easily as the Irish could be undefeated, they could be 7-4. The last second victory over the Cardinal this week could easily gone the other way as well as their win in the second game of the season, an upset over Michigan. Notre Dame can thank some suspect fourth-quarter decision-making by the Wolverines coaching staff in helping the Irish hold off their hard-changing Big Ten rival that day.

The exciting final victory on top of a fine season has the Irish fans awaiting the big end of the year bowl decisions. The BCS pairings are set to be announced on December 3rd, and are awaiting the completion of some key games this weekend.

Currently, number one ranked Southern California and number two ranked Texas appear to be on a collision course for the national title game. Who gets the other choice slots and against whom will not be finalized until all the regular season results are in. For now, all Notre Dame knows is that it will be one of the teams in one of those big games.

For the Irish athletic administration, the season is set to become a full-fledged bonanza. Because this year the BCS option for Notre Dame yields some serious money for the Irish coffers. Reportedly Notre Dame is set to earn at least $14 million for playing in the BCS game this year, a figure that will not be replicated into the future. Instead, starting next year, Notre Dame will receive a projected $1.3 million from the BCS regardless of their season results and would only receive about $4.5 million if selected to play in one of the top contests.

The return of the Irish to the upper echelon of college football and the role head coach Charlie Weis has played in that climb has dominated the story-line this year. And of all the key offensive contributors on Saturday, Quinn, Samardzija, Stovall, and Walker, only Stovall is set to graduate in 2006. With all that returning firepower and just one game left in the season worth $14 million dollars, the Irish eyes are indeed smiling once again.

If you have an avid sports fan on your gift list, then you're in luck, as sports fans have traditionally been one of the easiest groups of people to purchase presents for.  After all, no sports fan would complain about getting another item with their favorite team's logo or their favorite player's image on it.  But that's not to say that every single sports product would be welcome by every fan.  You still must do a bit of research (i.e. observation) prior to making a gift selection.  Here's what to look for when it comes to some major sports gift categories.

Equipment
If the person on your list would rather play sports than just watch them, then you might be tempted to purchase him or her a piece of equipment appropriate to their favorite pastime.  That's a great idea -- provided that you know the intended recipient well enough to purchase with confidence.  It's no secret that most athletes are very particular about the equipment that they use.  For example, golfers might be loyal to a specific brand of clubs or might prefer different brands for their putter versus their drivers, etc.  You'd hate to spend a couple hundred dollars on a piece of equipment only to discover that your special someone isn't comfortable using that brand or design.  So check around, hint, snoop through equipment bags, ask questions, or do anything else you have to in order to be on the safe side.

Apparel
Most sports fans love wearing clothing items featuring their favorite teams, but just as with any other kind of clothing, there are a lot of different styles to choose from.  That means you have to be somewhat aware of how your intended recipient normally dresses.  Is he a t-shirt and shorts kind of guy, or does he prefer a polo and slacks?  Does she like form-fitting baby doll tops, or does she like baggy jerseys?  Do they prefer caps or visors?  Most people prefer just one or the other of these style choices when it comes to clothes and rarely crossover to wear both.  

Miscellaneous Items and Novelties
There are a lot of other sports-themed items that you can purchase as gifts.  These range from office products such as paperweights and pen sets to car accessories to home furnishings.  Here again, you want to make sure that the gift suits the intended recipient's personality and surroundings.  Would she really put that football helmet-shaped phone in her classical living room?  Is he likely to put Notre Dame mud flaps on his Escalade?  Let's face it: some of the novelties out there really push the bounds of good taste, so you're going to have to exercise a lot of personal judgment as you shop.

To sum up, if you follow a few simple rules and do some minimal research before rushing out the to store, it really is easy to buy gifts for the sports fans on your list.  So just keep these tips in mind and you'll get through the occasion unscathed.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers closed out their regular season on a high note, whipping the Colorado Buffaloes by a score of 30-3.  It was a much-needed win for coach Bill Callahan's squad, which finished with a record of 7-4 -- a record that would be good enough for most programs, but that is considered pretty mediocre for the once-mighty Big Red team.  At any rate, the Cornhuskers have qualified for a Bowl game after missing out on the postseason last year with a dismal 5-6 record.  Let's take a look back at some highlights -- and low points -- of the 2005 campaign.

When most fans think of Nebraska football, they usually think of an offense that will run the ball 30 or more times per game.  But Callahan made it clear in his second year at the helm that his approach involved much more of a passing game.  That put a lot of focus and pressure on junior quarterback Zac Taylor.  Taylor had virtually no experience coming into 2005.  In fact, he had previously thrown just one pass in his collegiate career, a 3-yard completion back in 2003.  Analysts and critics felt that Taylor wasn't a strong enough quarterback to lead a team that would rely heavily on the pass, and most disillusioned fans agreed.

The Cornhuskers started the season off on the right foot, posting a 25-7 victory over Maine.  However, Taylor was just 15-of-36 for 192 yards and 2 interceptions, which had people again saying that he would never be able to lead the offense.  Things didn't improve much for the offense the next week, despite a 31-3 victory over Wake Forest.  In that game, the defense stepped up big time and scored three touchdowns -- one on a fumble recovery and two on interceptions -- to pace the team. Taylor continued to struggle, completing just 14-of-33 passes for 114 yards and one interception.  Taylor also posted the first touchdown pass of his career in this game, a four-yard completion to Frantz Hardy.  

But Taylor really came into his own on October 1 in Nebraska's 27-20 overtime win against Iowa State.  He completed 36 passes for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns, setting school records for completions and yards in the process.  The critics were silenced for the time being.

After jumping out to a 5-1 record, things started to go south for Big Red.  The team suffered through three losses in a row to Big 12 conference foes, including an embarrassing 40-15 defeat at the hands of Kansas.  The critics were back, calling for Nebraska to return to its old formula of more rushes and fewer passes.

Callahan, however, chose to stick to his guns -- and to the passing game -- and that resulted in two big wins to close out the season.  In the team's latest victory over Colorado, Taylor completed 27 passes for 392 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving fans hope that next year he'll blossom into the productive, consistent passer that Callahan's offensive scheme calls for.  

Here's hoping for big things from a more experienced team in 2006!

In a surprising action, arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the disciplinary actions taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in dealing with their explosive wide receiver, Terrell Owens. I say surprising because of the normal decision-making process made in such situations, and not insinuating that the Eagles were dealing with the matter in an unfair and inappropriate manner.

Recapping the sorry behavior of Owens isn't necessary for those who follow pro football although the amazing list of inappropriate behaviors set forth by the Eagles was incredible when looked at in its entirety. Among the many items not known by the general public prior to the hearing were Owens failure to open his playbook during training camp sessions, his desire to utilize handicap parking spaces for his own parking, and his repeated failure to respond to Coach Andy Reid's efforts to work through the childish behaviors Owens displayed. Throw in the final, very set of public actions by T.O., and one comes to realize that Philadelphia had more than tried to placate the wide receiver.

However, the tendency in the legal arena these days, especially in mediation, is to split hairs. The NFLPA clearly thought as much when they took this case to hearing. Thoughts of a ruling that reduced the suspension in half, to just two games, were bandied about. Heck, the arbitrator could have reduced the suspension by even a single game, that clearly would have helped the NFLPA feel better. Lastly, he could have inserted a viewpoint regarding the deactivation period, another item the Players Association hoped would happen.

Instead, the arbitrator did his job as he truly should have. He listened to the evidence from both sides, evidence that clearly indicated Terrell Owens was a malcontent that was not being mistreated by his organization. He then examined the punishment and deemed that Philadelphia was not over-reacting given the litany of issues presented. Ironically, it would have been interesting to see if the arbitrator would have had the authority would he have extended the punishment.

For the NFLPA, the expectation of a some form of reduction left them with such a sour taste in their mouths that they are now considering removing Bloch from his role. Too pro-management is the cry and therefore Bloch can't be counted on to give a fair ruling in future cases.

It is constantly amazing how the judicial system is sought to resolve matters, but when it does not resolve them to one of the parties liking the cries of unfairness are extended to include the person rendering the decision. Unfortunately, it is scary to think about the amount of money the Eagles had to have spent to justify their actions, and the money the NFLPA attorneys are raking in over this matter, all the while as Union leadership thumps their chest.

My hat goes off to the Eagles for preparing themselves and showing what a malcontent Owens truly was. My hat goes off to Richard Bloch for having the courage to uphold the ruling as it was given. It had to take enormous courage for him not to tinker with the discipline to simply placate the Players Union.

And I put my hat back on and walk away from the NFLPA for it's absurd reaction to the final ruling. Such actions undermine their existence - one can't help but believe that they are truly not a representative body of the players who make up the NFL if they respond in such a manner.

The Chicago Bears have been my favorite football team ever since I can remember.  I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and live in the area now.  Over the years, I've lived in several other cities with pro football teams, but I've never developed a liking for any other team.  The Bears are it for me, and memories of the 1985 team that went 18-1 through the regular season and the playoffs.  The heart and soul of that '85 team was the dominating defense.

These days in the NFL, it seems like high-powered offenses get all the attention.  We're more likely to hear about Peyton Manning or Drew Brees throwing for 300 yards and several touchdowns in a game than we are to hear about a punishing defender who had 12 tackles and a couple of sacks.  That's just the state of the game today.  

But I think that oftentimes, a swarming defense can be just as fun and entertaining to watch as an explosive offense.  And that's precise what the '85 Bears gave us.  More than anything else, that team was characterized by the famous "46" defensive scheme dreamed up by coordinator Buddy Ryan and executed to perfection by a highly talented group of players.  While most defenses have holes that can be exploited, that simply wasn't the case with the '85 Bears.  Every player carried his own weight and proved week after week that he deserved to be out on the field as part of one of the best defenses ever.

The undisputed leader of that amazing team was linebacker Mike Singletary.  Soft-spoken and mild-mannered off the field, "Samurai" Mike was absolutely fierce and totally intense during game time, and that set the tone for the entire team.  He was joined by fellow linebackers Wilbur Marshall and Otis Wilson to form one of the toughest, fastest LB trios in the NFL.  The three combined for 8 interceptions on the season and were a big factor in holding opponents to just about 12 points per game.

Defensive end Richard Dent was another star on a team full of standouts.  Dent, who was named the Super Bowl MVP, was one of the best pass rushers in the league throughout his career.  Dent recorded 17 sacks in that magical 1985, including 1.5 of Chicago's seven sacks in the Super Bowl.  The outstanding play of fellow linemen Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, and William "the Refrigerator" Perry made Dent's job of getting to the quarterback a whole lot easier.

The Bears had 34 interceptions in 1984, which is a testament to great coverage by its defensive backs.  Corners Leslie Frazier and Mike Richardson, along with safeties Gary Fencik and Dave Duerson, accounted for 20 of those picks.  What's more, opponents averaged just 4.8 yards per pass against these guys.

This year, there's been a lot of talk about the 2005 Bears defense and comparisons to the '85 team inevitably arise.  For me, however, there's no contest.  That '85 season was memorable in so many ways; but no true fan can ever separate the numbers '85 and 46 when it comes to the Bears.  That team was built on defense.

The Red Sox were definitely in need of a quality pitcher, but in the first sign that the organization misses Theo Epstein, Boston traded two of its top young prospects in yet another effort to win another title immediately. Boston put put together a deal to acquire Florida ace Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell, but gave up a great deal of its future by trading three top minor leaguers.

In the deal, the Marlins will get the Sox highly-touted shortstop Hanley Ramirez, a top pitching prospect in Anibal Sanchez along with another minor league pitcher, Jesus Delgado. The deal represented the classic trade in today's baseball market place, the Marlins giving up salary in return for future prospects.

Baseball America was reportedly set to rank Ramirez the Sox' third-best prospect in their farm system, Sanchez fourth, and Delgado 18th. Ramirez had been the top prospect in the Red Sox system in 2004

Beckett could just be what the Sox need to get them back over the hump. The right-hander was the MVP of Florida's 2003 World Series win over the New York Yankes and went 15-8 with a 3.38 ERA last season. He will be projected as the ace of the 2006 Red Sox staff.

But the hard-throwing 25-year old had problems with his shoulder and recurring blisters on his right middle finger last year. He also has yet to throw more than 180 innings in a season in his career.

Lowell is a three-time All-Star, but the third baseman slumped to .236 with just eight homers and 58 RBIs last season. Lowell, however, had averaged 24 homers and 94 RBIs in each of the previous five years, and he won his first Gold Glove in 2005.

Lowell is strictly a throw in for the Marlins who had an opening-day payroll of $60 million last season. The third baseman is under contract for $9 million a year for the next two seasons. Beckett meanwhile is eligible for salary arbitration and is expected to earn between $4 and $5 million in 2006. He also can become a free agent after the 2007 season.

Ramirez hit .271 with six homers, 52 RBIs and 26 stolen bases at Double-A Portland last season. The 21-year old shortstop is considered to have all the tools, speed, soft hands and a strong arm. Sanchez went 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA for Class-A Wilmington and then went 3-5 with a 3.45 ERA at Portland. Delgado, like Ramirez and Sanchez, is 21-years old. The right hander was 7-3 with a 3.50 ERA at Class-A Greenville in 2005.

For the Sox, under Theo Epstein, the team made strong moves to contend but also worked hard to rebuild a depleted farm system. The Sox minor league affiliates were starting to produce the kind of talent stream that has made the Atlanta Braves consistent contenders for the past 15 years. It was Epstein's vision to see the Sox reach that point, competing year in and year out for a title, with a bevy of players ready to step in and compete for roster openings.

It is hard to believe this would be a move Epstein would make, definitely not trading two of the team's top four minor league prospects, certainly not a young, talented pitcher with a significant pro future ahead of him. And not take on the salary of a Mike Lowell, not when you have Kevin Youklis ready to step in for Bill Mueller should the free agent decide to ply his trade elsewhere.

The Boston sportswriters are calling this a coup, the acquisition of a young pitcher to build their rotation around. However, should Beckett be one of those flamethrowers who suffer constantly from injuries, the Sox may have given up way too much.

Somehow, I think Theo would say they gave up too much even if Beckett produces.

The Cincinnati Bengals are enjoying a great season so far.  They are 7-3 and currently sit in a first-place tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Their only losses have come against the Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Indianapolis Colts.  All three of those teams have winning records and would make it to the playoffs if the season ended today.  Many analysts are surprised by the team's sudden turnaround.  After all, they were just 8-8 last year and didn't make any blockbuster moves in the offseason that would put them over the hump.  But they didn't have to.  Their number one draft pick of 2003, Carson Palmer, has come into his own and has emerged as a one of the league's top quarterbacks.

Palmer, a former standout at USC, spent his entire rookie year holding the proverbial clipboard and learning the offense.  Then, last year, which was his second season in the league, he finally got the starting nod.  He started 13 games for Cincinnati before suffering a sprained knee in a 35-28 loss to the Patriots that forced him to sit out the final three games of the year.  Palmer completed 263 of 432 passes for 2,897 yards.  He threw 18 touchdowns and had 18 interceptions, which made his passer rating 77.3, which was good for a second-year player, but not the kind of numbers that you want when you expect your QB to dominate and control games.

But this year, the Cincinnati offense is really clicking.  Palmer's favorite downfield target is wide receivers Chad Johnson.  The two have hooked up 61 times for nearly 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns thus far.  Receivers TJ Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry, along with tight end Matt Schobel present Palmer with additional options in case opposing teams try to double-team Johnson.  And then there's running back Rudi Johnson, whose job is to establish the ground game in order to keep defenses honest and allow Palmer to go to work exploiting the deep routes.  

You can see that Palmer has a real presence in the huddle.  He has quickly become a confident leader of a quality team, and his early success shows that the Bengals might be able to enjoy his talents for many years to come. After all, he is just 25 years old (and his supporting cast is also relatively young).  Through 10 games this season, Palmer has thrown for 2,620 yards and 20 touchdowns, and has only been picked off 6 times.  He's on pace to throw for 32 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions.  In addition, Palmer has posted a QB rating of at least 100 in nine of the Bengals' 10 games, which is more than any other quarterback in the league so far.  

Palmer's success isn't wholly unexpected.  He was a top prospect in high school, had a successful college career at USC, won the Heisman in 2002, and was the first pick in the NFL draft.  There's no question that he's had the skills all along.  But just remember that for every Peyton Manning, there are many more Ryan Leafs out there, so Palmer has bucked the odds in living up to expectations.  Here's hoping he continues to give Bengals fans something to cheer for throughout this year's playoffs and beyond.

This week's NFL games were characterized by lots of high scores.  In fact, seven teams scored 30 or more points in their games, which doesn't happen very often.  Additionally, several quarterbacks threw three touchdowns or more, which is another feat that doesn't happen every week.  Most quarterbacks have their favorite targets and will hook up with the same receiver for multiple touchdowns in a game.  This week, however, the theme seemed to be "share the wealth," as four of the top-performing quarterbacks threw touchdown passes to at least three different receivers.  Let's take a quick look back at those games.

Indianapolis Colts over Cincinnati Bengals
The Colts and Bengals threw down with an old-fashioned shootout on Sunday, with Peyton Manning and company prevailing with the 45-37 road win.  Manning threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns -- to three different receivers.  First, he connected with Reggie Wayne for a 66-yard score in the 1st Quarter.  Then, Manning hit Bryan Fletcher for a 9-yard touchdown in the 2nd Quarter.  Later in that same quarter, Manning found Dallas Clark for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

Arizona Cardinals over St. Louis Rams
It's not often that you'll see the Cardinals mentioned in an article about high-scoring games (unless they're on the wrong end of the high score), but the Arizona offense finally woke up on Sunday.  Quarterback Kurt Warner must have been fired up playing against the team that he took to the Super Bowl twice in the last five years, as he ended up throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns.  His touchdown passes were to Anquan Boldin for 13 yards; to Adam Bergen for 9 yards; and to Larry Fitzgerald for 7 yards.  Arizona went on to win the game 38-28.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Tennessee Titans
After going nearly four years without scoring 30 or more points in a game, the Jaguars have now accomplished the feat two weeks in a row.  This time, they defeated the Titans by a score of 31-28.  Quarterback Byron Leftwich was 22-of-38 for 258 yards and three touchdowns.  His three scoring strikes went to Kyle Brady (1 yard), Ernest Wilford (18 yards), and Matt Jones (7 yards).  It was the first three-touchdown passing performance in Leftwich's three-year NFL career.

San Diego Chargers over Buffalo Bills
The Chargers beat up on the struggling Bills by a score of 48-10.  Quarterback Drew Brees had an unbelievable game.  He completed 28-of-33 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns, with all four touchdowns going to different receivers.  First, Brees hooked up with Antonio Gates for a 27-yard score.  Then, he found Eric Parker for a 23-yard touchdown.  Next, Brees connected with Lorenzo Neal on a 2-yard play.  And finally, Brees hit Keenan McCardell for a 29-yard touchdown.  As outstanding as this game was for the former Purdue star, it wasn't even his best.  In Week 8 last year, Brees was 22-of-25 for 288 yards and 5 touchdowns against the Raiders.  Simply amazing!

Well, that's all for now.  Check back next week for another edition of the Wrap-Up.

In the recent off season, a young and athletic Boston Celtics team got younger and less experienced when management elected to forgo pursuit of Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, two veterans that had helped the team to the Atlantic Division title in 2005.

A strong draft in 2004 that brought the team Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen, followed by what was thought to be another strong draft in 2005, a draft that brought the team three more future players, high schooler Gerald Green, four year Providence College star Ryan Gomes, and the unheralded Orien Greene, had GM Danny Ainge thinking it was time to go with a youth movement.

The early returns are consistent within the NBA, a league that is said to eat its young players. The Celtics have struggled to a 4-5 start despite playing seven of nine at home in what Boston sportswriters are calling the easiest part of the C's schedule for 2005-06. But Ainge has a somewhat different view, as three of the team's losses have come at the hands of the Pistons and the Spurs, the two best teams in the league. One of their losses to the Pistons came in Boston on a buzzer beater by Rip Hamilton, a game in which the Celtics led most of the fourth quarter and would have seemingly won had not Paul Pierce missed four key free throws down the stretch.

Indeed, the Celtics should have won and they later gave another one away to the Charlotte Bobcats in a similar manner. The C's led that one by 12 in the fourth but missed free throws and offensive ineptness down the stretch allowed the Bobcats to catch the Celtics in regulation and then win in overtime.

For Boston, though there appears to be much hope in the front office, such fourth quarter debacles could quickly sap the team of its collective energy. Seemingly Boston will need to tighten up its game and close a few out in the fourth or the youngsters could quickly lose their confidence. The same could be said for the leaders of the team, Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis. For Boston, the development of three players could help put the team in a position to win more games down the stretch.

First, Boston will continue to give Delonte West time to grow into the point guard role. West was a two-guard in college, with an ability to fill it up from the perimeter, but the young Celtics had no one to handle the point with Payton's departure. Coach Doc Rivers and GM Ainge clearly have cast their support for the second year pro from St. Joseph's. The 6-4 guard has more than lived up to expectations thus far, playing excellent defense and providing solid ball-control leadership. West simply does not turn the ball over, consistently making good decisions on where to go with the basketball. Most importantly, the Celtics feel that the youngster will improve in both areas given the playing time he is receiving.

Ironically, what West has not done well is hit the open shot from the outside. Though he has been solid in all other facets, the strength of his game was supposed to be in his perimeter shooting. Thus far he has missed a number of key jumpers when the defense is focusing on Pierce and Davis. If the former two-guard starts hitting form the outside while he slightly upgrades his defense and ball distribution, the Celtics will indeed have their point guard of the future.

A second 2004 draft choice, power forward Al Jefferson, also is key to the Celtics growth in 2005-06. After a solid rookie campaign, Jefferson was expected to replace Antoine Walker at the starting power forward slot. However, an ankle injury in training camp caused the youngster to miss almost all of the preseason.

Jefferson is just now beginning to round into form as the team reaches its tenth game. A terror on the boards and possessing a low post game that seems to always find the open sky, the 20-year old appears destined to become an elite NBA scorer. But he still lacks consistency, is struggling a bit from the foul line, and appears to be lost on defense about 80% of the time. But if this fellow continues to mature, the sky appears to be the limit.

The third key player for the C's has yet to suit up for Boston in 2005. The biggest surprise of the 2004-05 season, Tony Allen is yet to return from a knee injury in addition to off the court woes. Allen had a fantastic rookie season, working his way into the starting rotation with his ability to play NBA caliber defense and because of his NBA caliber body. Also a terror on the boards, the leaper scored many of his points in the early going on follow ups around the basket. But later in the season, Allen began to show a solid jump shot in addition to the ability to slash to the basket while on the fastbreak.

Allen is back working out with the team but may still be a month away from game action. When he does return, the Celtics rotation immediately gains great depth, allowing Doc Rivers the luxury of once again bringing Ricky Davis off the bench. At a minimum, it will give Rivers additional help to decrease the possibility of wearing out Pierce and Davis over the course of the 82 game season.

Finally, the key for Boston will be resiliency - will they hold up during this development phase. Because the development won’t happen quickly and there will be many frustrating losses during the growth period. If Pierce and Davis can keep their heads up while the youngsters get their on the job training, the Celtics could make a run at a playoff spot in the weak Atlantic Division.

But if they do not, then Danny Ainge will again have the opportunity to stockpile during the draft, this time by picking in the lottery phase instead of midway down the list of available talent.

It took a four hole playoff, but Tiger Woods outlasted Kanamee Yokoo to take home his seventh tournament title of the 2005 golf season.

For Woods it was his second straight Dunlop Phoenix Tournament win in Japan, the richest event on the Japanese Tour, but as with other events in 2005 it did not come easy. First Woods would shoot a 2 over par final round 72, giving Yokoo a chance to catch him. And the Japanese golfer, the winner at the 2003 Dunlop, took full advantage, shooting a final round 69 to make up a three stroke deficit to send the match into extra holes.

Yokoo birdied the 14th, 16th and 18th to move into a share of the lead with Woods. Though Woods could have won the match outright with a birdie on the reachable par five 18th, the World's Number One ranked player had to settle for par, sending the match into overtime.

Once there Tiger got his game together in a hurry. Golf's money leader, if not the most gifted golfer ever, is certainly the most resilient to ever play the game and he proved that yet again when he put his final round woes behind him in the four hole playoff.

Limping with a sore ankle, Woods would par the first playoff hole, then go birdie, birdie, only to see Yokoo match him on every hole. But Woods kept up the pressure, this time with a birdie on his second try at the short 18th and become victorious when the hard-charging Japanese tour veteran missed a 12 footer that would have matched Woods' birdie effort.

Woods, starting the final round with a one shot lead over Jim Furyk, began with a birdie and appeared ready to go on a run. But Woods immediately hit a trouble spot, bogeying the second then double bogeying the third, and came back to the pack.

Yokoo, a former PGA Tour player from 2001 to 2003, played in the final group with Woods and Furyk. The veteran never batted an eye in the shadow of the two outstanding American players and at one time took a two shot lead when he birdied the 6th hole.

Furyk would slide back over the final nine holes and finish alone in third. Katsumasa Miyamoto shot a blistering final round 66 to grab fourth while the Spanish European Tour Rookie of the Year, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, finished fifth.

The event included US Open champion Michael Campbell and former PGA star David Duval. Despite a last round of 75, Duval had one of his best tournaments in a long, long time, finishing 7th.

Woods, who won this event by eight strokes last year, is on yet another remarkable run, having now finished second, second and first in his last three events. Earlier in the year, Tiger went seven straight events finishing in the top four in each, gaining two firsts, three seconds, a third and a fourth.

But Woods said his balky ankle, bothering him for about a month, really acted up in the cold Japan weather. Scheduled to play in the PGA Grand Slam in Hawaii on Tuesday and Wednesday, the problems with his ankle appeared very real. After winning, Woods announced he wasn't sure if he will be able to play.

That injury may be good news for the others in the field.

One of the best things about playing fantasy football is that you never know who is going to come out and put together a spectacular year.  It could be the player that you picked up from waivers after everyone else passed on him, or it could just be that one guy that you had a gut instinct about and chose with one of your precious draft picks.  No matter how it happened, if you've got a couple of these players on your roster, chances are you're doing very well this year!

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Before the start of the season, did anyone predict that this would be Palmer's breakout year?  I, for one, would be lying if I said that I expected him to do this well.  Last year, which was Palmer's second in the league, but first in terms of actual playing time, saw the former USC standout throw for 2,897 yards and 18 touchdowns along with 18 interceptions in 13 games.  This year, Palmer already has 2,285 yards and 18 touchdowns versus only 5 interceptions in nine games, making him the highest-scoring quarterback in my league.

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
Smith appeared in only one game in 2004, missing almost the entire season due to injuries.  That made him a very risky pick for fantasy owners this year.  However, if you were willing to roll the dice on this fifth-year veteran out of Utah, then you've been well-rewarded.  Smith has 58 receptions for 937 yards and 9 touchdowns to lead the league.

Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals
In some fantasy leagues, the kicker can score a lot of points for your team.  That's when you'd be thankful to have a guy like Neil Rackers on your roster.  Rackers has several things going for him as a fantasy player.  First of all, he's an extremely strong and accurate kicker who routinely boots 40 and 50 yard field goals each game.  Second, he plays for the offensively-challenged Arizona Cardinals, who don't seem to be able to get into the end zone with any regularity.  That means they have to attempt a lot of field goals.  Rackers has only attempted 9 extra points on the season, which is among the lowest in the league.  However, his 28 field goal conversions in 28 attempts more than makes up for that deficiency.

The Indianapolis Colts Defense
When the average football fan thinks of the Indianapolis Colts, the high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning generally comes to mind.  This year, however, the Colts have more often than not been defined by their defense.  As a fantasy owner, you probably had no trouble picking up the Colts defense, as they weren't on top of many people's mock draft scenarios.  So far, you've been treated to 12 interceptions, 31 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries, and 3 touchdowns, all while holding opponents to 115 points in nine games.

Most people would agree that surprises are nice, especially in the world of fantasy football, and if you've got any of these players on your roster, then I know you feel the same!

If you play fantasy football, then you're probably just as surprised as I am by some of the busts so far this season. Having some of these guys on your roster all but assures that you're not in first place in your league. What's worse, I'll bet that every single one of these players was drafted in the first round. Let's get right to it and examine some of the worst performers to this point.

Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings
Last year, Culpepper threw for 4,717 yards and an incredible 39 touchdowns, which is what you want to see as a fantasy owner. This year, Culpepper had 6 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in seven games before going down with a season-ending knee injury.

Mushin Muhammad, Chicago Bears
Muhammad is coming off a career year in which he lead the NFL in receiving yards with 1,405 yards and 16 touchdowns while with the Carolina Panthers, making him a prime first-round fantasy pick. However, Muhammad has not had the same success as a member of the Bears. Through nine games, he has just 474 yards and two touchdowns, which doesn't translate to many fantasy points.

Domanick Davis, Houston Texans
The 2004 season was just Davis' second in the league. He showed incredible potential as he led the Texans with 1,188 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. This year, however, Davis has been a dismal disappointment in fantasy land. He has rushed for 547 yards and just one touchdown so far for Houston.

Joe Horn, New Orleans Saints
Most owners would pick Horn as a solid second or third wide receiver. He had 94 catches for 1,399 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, but this year his production has fallen dramatically. Although some of the falloff can be attributed to injuries (Horn has missed three games) that's not the whole story. The bottom line is that Horn has just 346 yards and one touchdown in the 2005 campaign.

Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs
Gonzalez has been one of the most productive tight ends in history throughout his nine-year career. Last year, he had 102 catches for 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns, which would be excellent numbers even for a wide receiver. He would definitely be at or near the top of anyone's list of the best tight ends in the NFL. This year, however, he has had his problems, scoring only one touchdown through the Chiefs' first nine games.

The Baltimore Ravens Defense
For the last several years, the Baltimore Ravens have been one of the best defensive teams in the league. Led by linebacker Ray Lewis, they were sixth in the league in overall defense in 2004 and gave up an average of just over 16 points per game. This season, event though the Ravens are still among the NFL's defensive leaders, they aren't creating as many turnovers or scoring as many points, which means fantasy owners aren't reaping the benefits like in years past.

Well, if you've got a couple of these players on your fantasy roster, then I feel for you. But remember, it's a long season, so hang in there. Who knows what will happen in the second half!

With many NBA teams playing their tenth game of the season this weekend, the overall look of the 2005-2006 season is taking shape.

First, as advertised the NBA East is no longer least. Yes, the West has the defending champion Spurs, a team that has to be the favorite to win it all once again, but the NBA East has several teams that should be able to give the two time finalist Detroit Pistons a run for their money. Though it is indeed still early, the East currently has seven teams topping the .500 mark at this point, the West only five.

In prior years the strength of the NBA had clearly been in the Western Conference. Prior to the past two years, the Western Conference generally had two to three teams considered better than any the Eastern Conference had to offer. For the past seven years the San Antonio Spurs have had that distinction and until two years ago, the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers were also deemed better than any Eastern Conference foe. Throw in the T-Wolves and the Mavericks, and the West has truly been considered the better conference.

But for 2005-2006, in the Eastern Conference there are three teams considered capable of winning it all. You have to start with the Pistons who lost in the Finals to the Spurs last year and dominated the Lakers in 2004 to win the title. The Pistons are extremely experienced and now have the luxury of some depth to add to a formidable starting five. They look ready to regain the title having won all 8 games out of the gate including going 5-0 on the road.

Miami added Antoine Walker and Gary Payton in the off-season, to go with Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. Those additions made the Heat the proverbial favorites by many to dethrone Detroit. However, an early injury to Shaq has the Heat off to a modestly slow start.

A third team, the Indiana Pacers, are the chic pick in the East. The Pacers are without shooting guard Reggie Miller who has finally called it quits. But Ron Artest returns from his season of suspension to give an already resilient bunch a much needed boost. If Jamaal Tinsley stays healthy, this underrated team could also be right in the thick of the action the entire season.

Finally, this may be the year that LeBron James gets the Cleveland Cavaliers over the playoff hump. The Cavs have roared out of the gate, winning seven of nine. However, the growth in this team is more a function of finally getting some surrounding support for King James. The addition of Larry Hughes gives Cleveland another proven scorer while Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden give the Cavaliers enormous inside presence. Throw in sharp-shooting, point-guard Damon Jones and the Cavs also appear ready to give Detroit a run in the East.

Out West, it appears once again everything goes through San Antonio. Though Detroit is often called the best defensive team in the league, the Spurs actually are better at defending than anyone in the league. The Spurs have three legitimate stars in Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and of course the incomparable Tim Duncan. Throw in Gregg Popovich, one of the most underrated coaches in NBA history, and you have a team with the three titles in seven years a very good bet to make it four championships in eight years.

Who will challenge the Spurs out West is a big question mark? Dallas with Dirk Nowtizki continues to be an offensive powerhouse. Jason Terry is now considered a formidable point guard while Josh Howard continues to emerge as a player. The Mavericks are off to a 6-2 start but they have been matched by this year's West Coast surprise, the Los Angeles Clippers.
Whereas Phoenix caught the West napping a year ago, the Clips are the surprise team for this year, at least in the early going.

Most had written the Clippers off, after all they were the Clippers. In addition, though the team had some real talent, the general consensus was there simply would not be enough basketballs to go around with the likes of Sam Cassell, Cuttino Mobley, and Corey Maggette. Heck, most thought with Maggette alone the team did not have enough basketballs. But the team has looked solid over the first eight games, distributing the ball and taking advantage of one of the game's most underrated players, Elton Brand. Yes it's still early, but the Clippers may be the talk of the LA set, especially since their Staples Center colleagues the Lakers may again struggle this season.

In the early going, Memphis also continues to demonstrate its growth as a team, winning six of their first nine, one of those losses a buzzer beater. Pau Gasol continues to improve as a player and the team also has the unselfish Dukie product, Shane Battier. Throw in sharp shooting Eddie Jones and the Grizzlies have some firepower as well.

Finally, two .500 level teams deserve watching. Of course everyone expected the Phoenix Suns to struggle early without Amare Stoudamire and they have splitting their first eight games. But the T-Wolves were expected to be in the mix from the get g. Their somewhat disappointing 4-4 mark comes in great part from an 0-3 start on the road.

Kudos: To Mo Cheeks who has the Sixers 6-4 and in first place. Iverson is having another great year and seems to be playing even better under the tutelage of Cheeks. To the Warriors, also a surprising 6-4 out of the gate. What a turnaround for that team once Baron Davis came to town. And to the Bucks, at 5-3 the team is extremely competitive and has already played five road games on the season.

Cruds: To the Raptors and Hawks, a combined 0-18 at this point. However, it appears that Toronto does have a budding superstar in Chris Bosh. And to the Houston Rockets who were supposed to give San Antonio and Dallas a run for their money but Van Gundy's group is off to a 3-6 start.

If you are an avid hunter, than chances are good that you own a handgun or two in addition to your shotgun or rifle. Handguns are commonly used by those who enjoy target shooting at an approved gun range and by those who want a gun around for protection. No matter what reasons for possessing a firearm, you should take every step necessary towards being a responsible gun owner. Part of this responsibility includes keeping your weapon stored away in a gun safe when you're not using it.

There are many different types of gun safes on the market today, and for the most part, they are very affordable. So there really shouldn't be any reason not to have a gun safe in your home. In addition, gun safes do not take up that much space. They can easily be stored in a closet, under the bed, or in some cases, in a nightstand drawer.

One manufacturer of gun safes that has an excellent reputation within the industry is ADG Sports. This company produces several different styles and sizes of gun safes and secure storage cabinets, so you're sure to find something that fits your needs and your budget. The most popular ADG gun cases seem to be the classic briefcase style, which is handy if you frequently travel or transport your handgun from your home to the range, gun shows, etc.

Another company known for producing high-quality gun safes is American Security. American Security offers both large and small safes, so here again you'll have a wide selection of products to choose from. The safes from this company are made from ultra-durable high-grade aluminum, and feature push-button entry codes for extra security. In addition, some models come with separate shelves that will allow you to store important documents, valuable jewelry, or similar items. This could be a good move, particularly since, depending on the model, your valuables will be protected from fire once they are locked away in the safe.

Where can you purchase gun safes such as these? A good place to start would be at the store where you originally bought your handgun since they will probably have a bunch of accessories available as well. If you are a fan of the convenience and ease of online shopping, then you can purchase gun safes right here at SportingGoodsDepot.com. Simply click on the "Hunting" link at the top of this page, and then click on the "Gun Safes" link that will appear on the next page. You'll find both ADG and American Security gun safes, as well as products from other fine companies right here at our online store.

No matter which manufacturer you decide to go with and no matter where you ultimately purchase your gun safe from, the important thing is that you actually get one and that you actually use it. It may sound like a cliche to say that it could be a matter of life and death, but that's pretty much what it comes down to. And, as always, it's better to be safe than sorry.

In case you didn't know it, this is Rivalry Week in college football, the week where most teams try to schedule games against their fiercest, most despised opponents.  After glancing through the week's lineup, I couldn't help but notice that some of the games really don't make sense in terms of rivalries.  For example, Notre Dame is slated to play Syracuse.  I don't know about you, but when I think of the words "Notre Dame" and "rivalry", I immediately think of Michigan.  And then there's the number one team in the country, the USC Trojans.  Can you guess who they'll be playing this week?  UCLA? No. Cal? No.  They're actually playing the Fresno St. Bulldogs.  

So what's the big deal?  Will Rivalry Week really be that much different from any other week in the college football season?  After all, nobody's interested in what happens until the Bowl games, right?  Absolutely not!  I would say that all of the nationally-ranked Division I football teams, and probably a significant majority of the unranked teams, have a rabid, fanatical following among current students, alumni, and even just local residents.  These fans take their college football seriously and can't stand the thought of losing, especially to a dreaded rival.  So, yes, I think rivalry week is much different than a regular week.  In rivalry week, there's bound to be more emotion and more energy in the stadium, the players will all talk about giving 110% rather than 100%, and even the coaches might get into the act by giving a more fiery pre-game speech than usual.

Sure, on one level, the whole concept of Rivalry Week seems like some sort of media gimmick.  But if you really feel that way, then I'm willing to bet that you've never been to a big college football game, because a Purdue vs. Indiana game would be a lot more intense than a Purdue vs. Oregon game or an Indiana vs. Alabama game.  See how that works?  There's just something about playing an in-state team that gets players and fans fired up a bit more.

Overall, I think it's great that rivalries in sports are promoted.  It's amazing to me how players carry on the tradition from generation to generation and just keep things going.  Sometimes rivalries can be all about individual players, and of course those particular rivalries will either go away as the players in question move on or the rivalries might even carry on to the next level and follow the players as they embark on their professional careers.  But these team rivalries that go back decades, or even a century or more (think Harvard and Yale), really keep things interesting for everyone, from the players and coaches to the students and casual fans.

So this weekend, as you watch games like Oregon vs. Oregon State and Alabama vs. Auburn, spend a few moments taking in all the history and tradition surrounding the storied rivalries. And remember, there's a lot more to college football than what's happening right now!



  

If you spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, then you probably already know the value of having a good knife readily available.  Whether you are into hunting, diving, fishing, camping, kayaking, or climbing, you just never know when you're going to need to cut through something.  Because there are so many knives on the market today, you ought to do a bit of preliminary research to find out what some of the best knives are in terms of function, price, and looks.  Here's a short list to get you started.

Case Knives
When it comes to a good, solid pocketknife for outdoor activities, or even for daily use at work or around the house, check out the many offerings from Case.  Case Knives has been producing quality products since the late 1880s, and this brand is very well-respected in the pocketknife industry.  A lot of people even collect Case Knives, and because of that, the company manufacturers limited or special editions from time to time.  Even their regular knives for daily use look great, so give this brand a look if you're considering a new knife purchase.

Benchmade Knives
Compared to Case, Benchmade is a relatively new entry in the premium knife industry.  Benchmade has been selling knives to the world since 1987, and I have to say that their designs look very cool.  That's probably because they have some well-known and innovative knife designers on their staff that continually come up with new ideas for products.  Anyway, Benchmade Knives are categorized into four different classes:  Red, Black, Blue, and Gold.  According to the Benchmade website, the Red class is for casual users; the Black class is for professionals such as law enforcement officials or members of the military; Blue is for those who don't mind paying more for a high-quality blade; and the Gold class consists of their most elite products.  With all those choices, you're sure to find something you can use.

Cold Steel Knives
From the models I've seen, Cold Steel Knives are geared towards serious outdoorsmen who might actually find themselves in life-and-death situations out in the wilderness.  This company is perhaps most famous for its line of tactical knives that look truly tough.  Even the Cold Steel folding-style pocketknives look a bit imposing and not like something that your average person would carry around every day.  This company actually sells many different styles of knives, but they mostly seem to have fixed-blade knives that you would wear in a sheath hanging from a belt.  I have read many positive reviews about Cold Steel, so if you need a survival tool for extremely rugged areas of the deep wilderness, this is definitely a brand you need to take a look at.

If you spend a lot of time out in the woods, then you're probably going to need a knife at some point.  When that time comes, it's better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you have a high-quality, sturdy model that will get the job done and not fail you when you need the knife to perform.

Well, it happened. We lost. The University of Georgia's game with Auburn this week was a good game overall. We were close the entire game. Then we lost at the end, and bad decisions came back to haunt us. Earlier in the game, we trailed by five. After Georgia scored a touchdown, head coach Mark Richt sent the players out for a 2-point conversion that would have put us up by three, meaning a field goal by Auburn would only tie the game and send it into overtime.

Something happened when they went out to try for two because Quarterback DJ Shockley, returning from a knee injury, could not get the play together in time, and no one called a timeout. The commentators were saying that Shockley could not see the play clock. I'm not sure, but even if he didn't call the time out, why didn't Richt? Why did no one else see what was going on?

So after the delay of game penalty, we went for a point-after, which does not make sense to me either. I mean, let's face it. That was a poor decision. We lost by one. If we had made the conversion, we would have tied. If not, we would have lost by two. It would have been a loss either way. Why not try for the tie?

These decisions haunt me, but I am only a fan. They certainly stay with the likes of Richt and Shockley for months - maybe years - to come. Instead of being one of three remaining undefeated teams, the Bulldogs are limping to the finishing line, hoping that have it in them to wipe the field with Kentucky this weekend so that they can play for the Southeastern Conference championship.

The Dawgs should still play for the conference championship unless something unforeseen gets in their way. The 3-6 Wildcats are unlikely to be that unforeseen obstacle, and the only way for Georgia to lose will be for the Bulldogs to break down during the game. The SEC championship game, looming December 3 in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, will provide a bigger challenge. Earlier in the year, I would have said there was no way we would lose. Now I'm not so sure. Both Alabama and LSU, the teams most likely to be there with us, looked well-prepared in their slugfest Saturday afternoon.

Still, I am a Georgia Bulldog. I will be cheering my heart out for the Dawgs this weekend, against Georgia Tech, in the SEC championship, and in whatever Bowl city we happen to land. I will be there, as with tens of thousands of other Bulldog faithful because we believe in this team, this program. And however much Mark Richt has made us want to scream with his run-play calls on third and +10, we believe in him, too.

Georgia will be back next year. We will have a new quarterback again. We will lose some good players, but the future is bright for this team. We have enough young stars that Georgia is rising once again to take its rightful place among the nation's football elite.

By Julia Mercer

If you play sports or participate in certain activities that involve distances of several hundred yards, then you might be a good candidate for a rangefinder.  A rangefinder is a small device that kind of looks like a pair of binoculars tilted to one side.  It is used to measure the distance from where you are standing to an object that you focus on.  This feature is what makes rangefinders such a valuable tool for use in popular pastimes such as golf and hunting.

The accuracy of the rangefinder greatly depends on the kind of model that you get.  Obviously, a $1000 laser-equipped model is going to be much more accurate and have more applications than a $30 pocket scope.  The more expensive models generally claim accuracy to within one yard of the target, and claim that the accuracy doesn't change even in inclement weather such as rain, sleet, fog, etc.  A lower-priced model would probably be accurate to within a few yards one way or the other, and would not likely make any accuracy claims under adverse conditions.  So while this kind of variation might not make such a big difference in a friendly game of golf, it would make a huge difference in a tournament.  Thus, you'll have to consider your needs prior to purchasing a rangefinder.

As I just mentioned, one of the most common applications for a rangefinder is on the golf course.  These devices are small enough to fit into your golf bag, and can really help you out if you don't have a caddy.  By using a rangefinder to measure the distance from your ball to the sand trap or flag, you'll know exactly which club to use and you'll probably make more accurate shots.

Similarly, rangefinders can be of great help when you are hunting.  You can use them to tell you how far away your prospective target is.  Then you can determine whether or not it would be worth taking the shot based on your own capabilities as well as your shotgun's effective range.  As a result of knowing exactly how far away the game is, you'll be able to take more accurate shots, which in turn will improve your hit ratio and reduce the amount of ammo that you go through in one trip.

Before you buy a rangefinder, you should make an honest assessment of your usage plans.  If you're a golfer who only hits the links when it's a bright, sunny day, then you probably won't need anything too fancy.  If you're a hunter who is serious about bagging the biggest buck on the trip and who isn't deterred by driving snow or pounding rain, then you should probably invest a bit more to get a good rangefinder.  Either way, it's important to know the features that you will get out of the rangefinder you are planning to buy, and it's important not to have unrealistic expectations about the device.  In other words, you're not going to turn into Tiger Woods overnight just by having one of these!

To view a fantastic selection of affordable rangefinders, click the "Hunting" link here at SportingGoodsDepot.com and then click on "Rangefinders on the next page.

We've seen another week go by in the National Football League, and this time we were treated to a few record-breaking performances. Let's jump right in and start recapping the day's action.

Chicago Bears over San Francisco 49ers
At the beginning of the season when the 1-2 record of the Chicago Bears had most people snickering about what a terrible division the NFC North is. And that's probably true, but the Bears, on the strength of a five-game winning streak, now stand at 6-3 -which is nothing to laugh about, considering that record would put them in first or second place in every division out there except for the AFC North. The Bears' fifth win in a row came over the lowly 49ers on a cold, windy day at Soldier Field. Neither team could generate much offense in the low-scoring 17-9 affair.

The biggest play of the day came in the final seconds of the first half when San Francisco attempted a 52-yard field goal into the wind. Before the snap, Nathan Vasher of the Bears ran down to the end zone just in case the kick fell short of the goal posts -in which case, it would be a live ball. That turned out to be a very smart move. Vasher caught the kick in the end zone and then ran it back 108 yards for a touchdown in what turned out to be the longest play in NFL history.

Minnesota Vikings over New York Giants
The Vikings have been struggling mightily on offense this season. That didn't change on Sunday even though Minnesota stunned the New York Giants with a 24-21 win. In fact, the Vikings offense generated just 137 yards on the day. Still, the team was able to make a bit of history in the process as they returned an interception, a punt, and a kickoff for touchdowns. That was the first time a team had ever pulled off all three in an NFL game. Safety Darren Sharper accounted for a 92-yard interception return, Koren Robinson recorded a 86-yard kickoff return, and Mewelde Moore closed the deal with a 71-yard punt return. The offense didn't score until Paul Edinger booted a 48-yard field goal with 0:19 left in the game to seal the victory.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Baltimore Ravens
While the previous two games featured positive record-setting marks, this contest featured a team that was finally able to distance themselves from a record that they would rather forget about. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 30-3, thus ending their record streak of 58 games without scoring 30 points in a game. The streak spanned almost 4 years, and had become quite a sore spot for players and coaches alike. So even though the Jaguars were well out in front late in the game, they kept throwing passes on their offensive possessions where most teams would have been content to run the ball to wind down the clock. But now they've got the monkey off their backs and, at 6-3, can focus on making a run for the playoffs.

In yet one more sign that golf has truly gone global, several of the world's top players teed it up in Asia this past weekend at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, China. With a $5 million purse and $833,000 for the winner, the HSBC drew a world class field for the richest tour event in Asia.

David Howell of England served notice of his emergence as a top flight player with a three stroke victory over the world's top ranked player, Tiger Woods. England's Nick Dougherty would eagle the par-5 18th to tie for third with Australia's Nick O'Hern at 274, another three strokes behind Woods. Number two in the World Ranking, Vijay Singh tied with Thomas Bjorn another shot back at 275.

Howell, previously known for his outstanding Ryder Cup play, had played in the same group with Woods in the third round of the Masters this past April. Whereas the Englishman shot a 76 there and Woods put himself in position to win his ninth major title, this weekend Howell stared down Woods with a fine final round 68 to claim the victory on Sunday. Though thousands of spectators followed the final threesome of Woods, Howell and O'Hern, chattering and clicking cameras and angering the players constantly, Howell held up through it all.

With the win, Howell captured his third European Tour title of his career. The World's 19th ranked player going into the HSBC and the 7th ranked player on the European Order of Merit also won the BMW International Open in Germany in August when he topped John Daly by a stroke. Howell collected his first professional victory in November 1998 when he won the MasterCard Australian PGA Championship.

For Woods, it was his second straight second place finish, having placed in the same spot at last week's Tour Championship in Atlanta. Woods had 13 top tens in 21 starts on the PGA Tour this year, and though he won six times, his real dominance is categorized by the fact that he also finished second 4 times when this week's event is included. The second place finish pushed Woods over the $11 million mark in earnings world-wide for 2005.

The HSBC Championship was sanctioned by the European, Asian, Australasian and Sunshine tours along with the China Golf Association. The tournament was the first official event of the 2006 European Tour schedule.

Earlier in the summer, the Major League baseball steroid scandal grew more bizarre when the US Congress felt it necessary to get involved. The idea that our government officials could actually accomplish anything meaningful with this baseball dilemma simply verified how out of touch many of our elected officials are today.

Even more troubling to fans than these government officials inability to come to agreement on the affairs of the country, the very issues they were elected to resolve, was the fact that Congress had no business getting involved in professional sports. This was simply not a place that Congress had any jurisdiction and the idea that they needed to get involved somehow spoke of these folks self-aggrandizing view of their role in American society.

No sooner did we deal with that notion, then this weekend we have the Reverend Jesse Jackson weighing in on the sad Terrell Owens affair. Jackson called the Philadelphia punishment of T.O. "much too severe."

Said the Reverend, Owens could have been more professional when he publicly complained about his contract, his team and the Philadelphia organization. But Jackson also insisted that Owens' suspension without pay for four games and deactivation for the rest of the season was "much too severe for the charge."

The civil rights activist went on to say that this hurts Owens NFL career at its height, at the time that T.O. was in his professional prime. Coming to a rather strange summation, Jackson indicated that such a punishment was warranted only if Owens had been caught shaving points, selling drugs, carrying a gun or fighting fans without sufficient restraint.

These comments came on top of those of consumer activist, Ralph Nader, who had already called for the suspension to be rescinded. Nader presumably also meant the final deactivation period and not the four game suspension.

Once again, one has to wonder who these folks think they are as well as what do they think their role is in society today. Is the suspension of a professional athlete for unprofessional behavior an area that politicians and activists should get involved in. If it is, then perhaps we all need a lesson in the difference between supporting the public interest versus deeming a consequence for a spoiled millionaire is excessive.

If an athlete shaved points, sold drugs, carried a gun and whatever else Jackson suggested, I would suggest the athlete should be banned from the sport period. Suspended for a year in such an instance would just be another trivialization of justice.

Second, Owens was suspended for four games but his deactivation period means he won't be able to play for the final games of the season. However, the Eagles will still have to pay Owens his salary during that time. Therefore, Philadelphia's punishment is more about sending a statement to an athlete than it is punishing him.

It is a statement that in a team game, to be a viable member you have to be a teammate. That is something that Terrell Owens sadly fails to understand, something he seems destined to always struggle with.

But it is becoming clear why he has such difficulty grasping that concept. When the Jesse Jackson's and Ralph Nader's of the world think they too know better than the men in charge of the Eagles one has to shake their head. And when they are not involved in having to clean up the mess that T.O. has created, their willingness to pontificate in the manner in which they do makes it very clear that they too do not understand the meaning of being a teammate either.

Come to think of it, that is probably why our elected officials struggle to lead our country today. Perhaps if some of these folks understood the importance of being a teammate our country would be in a far different place today.

Major League Baseball has announced the winners of the 2005 Manager of the Year award. In the American League, Ozzie Guillen of the World Series Champion Chicago White Sox took home the honors. Guillen received 17 first-place votes, 5 second-place votes, and 5 third-place votes for a total of 117 points. He easily beat out runner-up Eric Wedge of the Cleveland Indians, who received a total of 71 points.

This was just Guillen's second full year as manager of the White Sox, and he showed all season long that he could keep things loose and motivate his team to play day after day. In addition, he was very aggressive and was not scared to make some unconventional decisions when the situation seemed to call for them. More often than not, those decisions panned out for the White Sox as they won their first World Series title in 88 years.

Almost every player on the White Sox had an exceptional season, particularly the guys on the pitching staff. Jon Garland, Mark Buerhle, Jose Contreras, and Freddy Garcia were solid all season long. The bullpen was also outstanding for most of the season, and Bobby Jenks emerged as a dependable closer. The bats came around as well. Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, A.J. Pierzynski and nearly every other hitter in the White Sox lineup came through with clutch hits at one point or another.

This made things easier for Guillen as a manager - at least most of the time.

The White Sox played well beginning in April, and held it together until August when they started losing ground to the surging Cleveland Indians. The White Sox enjoyed a division lead as big as 14 games, but that slipped down to just a couple in the waning days of the season.

But it was then that Guillen really came through for Chicago. He somehow managed to rally his troops, and righted the ship before the postseason. In fact, the White Sox closed out the year by winning 16 of 17, including two series sweeps in the playoffs. During all that time, Guillen never veered away from his "small ball" approach to the game. The White Sox continued to focus on fundamentals and doing the little things right. They bunted, sacrificed, stole bases, and executed a lot of hit-and-runs - just as they had been doing all season long. In the end, it worked to perfection.

Even though I am not a White Sox fan, it's hard to live in Chicago and not like Ozzie Guillen. He is so candid and refreshing that it's fun listening to or reading his interviews. When you watch a lot of other sports personalities, you can almost answer every question for them because a lot of these players and managers just say the same things and use the same clinch over and over. That definitely wasn't the case with Ozzie.

Besides all that, Guillen just brought a lot of energy and excitement to the team. As a fan, it's nice to see players and managers who look like they're actually having some fun. Good job, Ozzie!

There have been some major surprises at the start of the NBA season. The Clippers and Bucks going 8-2 combined out of the gate has many shaking their heads. Others are surprised by the Wizards 4-1 start - those that are misunderstand just how good a coach Eddie Jordan is.

But the much of the NBA season is just as everyone expected. The two best teams are still the Pistons and the Spurs, and Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, as good as they are, still cannot carry a team all by themselves. And, the Hawks, well they are still just the Hawks.

Friday night the Spurs hammered the Celtics in Boston, 103-82, pushing San Antonio to 5-1 on the season. That victory was classic ongoing NBA expectation. The win was the Spurs 16th in a row over the Celtics, a playoff team in the East a year ago, but no where's near the Spurs caliber. The last time the Celtics beat San Antonio, M.L. Carr was coaching the Celtics to a 15-67 season and hopefully the number one pick in the draft. Somehow, San Antonio slipped into the top spot, grabbed Tim Duncan, and well, the rest is history.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of the Spurs strength came from the Tim Duncan versus Mark Blount match-up. Blount was off to a good start for the season and is a credible center in the new NBA era. But on Friday night, Blount scored 3 points, took home one rebound, and was totally dominated by Duncan, who went for 29 points and 12 boards. Throw in the likes of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, a great coach in Gregg Popovich, and the fact that Duncan isn't just good, he is coachable, and well the title again goes through San Antonio this season.

The Pistons at 6-0 remain the league's only unbeaten team, though they have had a few close calls. But Detroit is already 4-0 on the road this season and of course are now in their third year with the same starting line-up.

In Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshun Prince, Detroit has three of the best two-way players in the game. Along with the scoring of Rip Hamilton, a human dynamo that never stops moving, and the defense and rebounding of Ben Wallace, this is a team with the type of balance that will once again go deep into the playoffs, if not win it all.

Detroit also has a the traditional advantage that comes with a new coach. The Pistons will do well with a new, fresh voice and different ideas and schemes, retaining the best of Larry Brown for at least the year while growing under the underrated Flip Saunders.

With the 76ers topping the Lakers in Philadelphia Saturday night, those two aspiring playoff teams are now both 3-3 on the season. Such a .500 record could be good enough for the Sixers in the East while the Lakers will need to do better in the West to sneak in. Iverson went for 34 in 45 minutes to carry Philadelphia, while Bryant had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the 85-81 loss. As good as those two are, they simply do not have enough surrounding talent to make these teams viable contenders.

Then, we move to the Hawks, they with one of the top draft choices a year ago, an excellent young player in Al Harrington, and the key acquisition of Joe Johnson in the off-season. Top pick Marvin Williams is just 19 in a league that eats its young. He is averaging a credible 7 points and 4.8 rebounds a game in 28 minutes per outing. Joe Johnson has produced 20 points per game for the Hawks but he has just 24 assists to 20 turnovers through the first five games.

The Hawks could actually become competitive as the year progresses, provided the key players can remain from getting discouraged during the front half of the season. They are young and athletic, two attributes that are meaningless in one way but absolutely necessary in another, so they will be an interesting team to keep an eye on as the year progresses. Then again, weak coaching or a lack of resiliency could have this team challenging for the one of the worst records of all times.

The Indianapolis Colts have become one of the NFL's top teams in the past several years, but they've always had one major knock against them:  they simply could not beat the New England Patriots.  Since both teams play in the AFC, the Colts would have to get past this hurdle sometime in order to reach the Super Bowl.  If Monday night's 40-21 victory is any indication, then this could be the season that it happens.

Entering the prime time matchup, Colts' starting quarterback Peyton Manning was a career 0-7 when playing New England on the road.  Manning has been criticized as not being a "big game" quarterback because he never could put together a good performance against the Patriots.  In fact, in last year's record-setting season in which Manning threw for 49 touchdowns in the regular season, he was held to just 238 yards and 0 touchdowns in the divisional championship game in New England.  That came just one week after Manning scorched the Denver Broncos for 457 yards and 4 touchdowns.  

So this year, with the Colts riding a revamped defense to a 7-0 record and the injury-plagued Patriots struggling to win games, the timing seemed impeccable.  Though Manning hasn't put up the huge offensive numbers that he did a season ago, he hasn't had to in order to win games this year.  Tonight, however, it seemed that Manning was on a mission to take the game into his own hands and get over the New England hump once and for all.  He came out firing and didn't let up until the Colts had put 40 points on the board.  In previous meetings between these two powerhouse teams, Manning, the two-time NFL MVP, was consistently upstaged by the Patriots' Tom Brady.  Not this time.  Manning completed 28-of-37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns, while Brady was 22-of-33 for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

While the Indy defense bailed out the team on a couple of occasions when the offense clearly appeared stagnant, that wasn't the case tonight.  The Colts were clicking on all cylinders.  Both Marvin Harrison (131) and Reggie Wayne (124) broke the century mark in receiving yards.  Harrison caught two touchdown passes, including a 30-yarder midway through the 4th quarter that essentially put the game away.  Wayne also caught a touchdown pass for the Colts.  The ground attack was working as well, with running back Edgerrin James carrying the ball 34 times for 104 yards and a touchdown.

The Colts' defense was solid, too.  They stuffed Patriots' running back Corey Dillon all night long and held him to just 40 yards on 12 attempts.  The defense also forced two fumbles and an interception, and kept enough pressure on Brady to prevent a patented Patriots comeback.  In addition, the win preserved the Colts' perfect record.  At 8-0, Indianapolis is the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL.  

Now that Indianapolis has finally defeated the Patriots, there has been a definite power shift in the AFC.  The Colts, Steelers, and Bengals are all riding high, while the Patriots dynasty will have a tough time winning their third championship in a row.  

The year-end awards for the 2005 Major League Baseball season continue to roll in.  Today, the Rookie of the Year winners for both the American League and the National League were announced.  Pitcher Huston Street of the Oakland Athletics won the AL award with a total of 15 first-place votes, while first baseman Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies earned the NL honors with 19 first-place votes.  

Street, who is just 22 years old, got his chance to become the A's regular closer after Octavio Dotel was sidelined with an elbow injury on May 20.  He made 67 appearances on the season and pitched 78.1 innings in those games.  He gave up 53 hits while striking out 72 and walking just 26.  He finished with a 5-1 record and an incredible ERA of just 1.72.  The most important statistic of all, however, was the number of saves he recorded.  Street converted 23 of 27 save opportunities and set a team record for the number of saves by a rookie.  The previous A's record was set by Rollie Fingers back in 1969 when he had 12 saves.

Street was a key player late in the season as the A's made a chase for the pennant.  Although the team fell short, they got a good look at what kind of potential Street has as their closer of the future.  In addition to being a great pitcher, Street also became a fan favorite during the course of the season, and is likely to be a fixture in the Oakland organization for many years to come.

Street beat out Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees and Jonny Gomes of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the award.

Ryan Howard got his chance to play for the Phillies when regular first baseman Jim Thome was injured in early July.  Howard, who is 25 years old, played in 88 games this season.  During that time, he had 90 hits, including 22 home runs, and 63 RBI in 312 at-bats.  Howard had a batting average of .288 and a slugging percentage of .567.  Like Street, Howard was an important part of a Phillies team that made a run at the playoffs late in the year.  Although the team fell a game short of making it to the postseason, Howard took advantage of the spotlight to showcase his talents.  The organization is so impressed with their young up-and-coming star that they are reportedly looking to trade Thome to make Howard their everyday first baseman.

Howard beat out Willie Taveras of the Houston Astros and Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves for the award.  In fact, some analysts believe Taveras deserved the award more than Howard since Taveras played in 152 games and appeared in the World Series with Houston.  But obviously, the voters did not agree with this assessment, as Howard received a total of 109 points to Taveras' 78 ponts.

Both of these top rookies have the talent necessary to become franchise-type players for their respective organizations, and the fans in those cities will be able to watch some great baseball for many years to come.

  

In Boston, the goof ball actions of Manny Ramirez have resulted in a new sports expression, that's just Manny being Manny. In San Francisco and Philadelphia, the ego-related actions of Terrell Owens had earned him a similar title, that's just T.O. being T.O.

But in recent weeks the impetuous wide receiver's hair-brained antics have taken the T.O. being T.O. expression to lows seldom seen before in professional football. And with those lows increasing and weighing heavily on the team, the Philadelphia Eagles essentially parted ways with the wide receiver today, stating that at the end of his four game suspension, the team would deactivate Owens for the rest of the season.

Owens was suspended on Saturday after deriding the Eagles franchise, saying the organization showed "a lack of class" for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch. While expressing his thoughts regarding the Eagles failure to recognize his individual accomplishment, Owens also stated that the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback instead of Donovan McNabb. That criticism of teammate McNabb had been ongoing since last year's Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

However, Owens comments were not the only item of issue last week. The outspoken wide-receiver also was involved in a physical altercation the same day with former Eagles defensive end and current team "ambassador," Hugh Douglas.

Owens' relationship with the Eagles had taken a negative turn when he demanded a new contract just one season into his seven-year, $49 million deal, an agreement that was signed when Owens came to Philadelphia in March 2004. The four-game suspension will cost Owens nearly $800,000 this year while the Eagles deactivating him for the final five games will cost the team $1 million in salary for a player that will not see any action for the team. Because the receiver is due a $5 million roster bonus in March 2006, the Eagles seem certain to either trade or release him at the end of the season.

Owens had also clashed with management last summer. After a heated argument with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Owens was banished from training camp for a week. The deteriorating relationship with quarterback Donovan McNabb began when McNabb and other players said the Eagles could still reach the Super Bowl after Owens was injured prior to the NFL playoffs. The Eagles in fact did just that, reaching the championship game without Owens in the line up.

Directly after Philadelphia lost to the Patriots, Owens began sniping back at McNabb, insinuating that the quarterback was tired in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl loss. Owens continued his verbal criticisms of McNabb throughout training camp and into the 2005 regular season.

Then everything came to a head last week when Owens ripped the club and McNabb once again, followed by the physical altercation in the Eagle's locker room. And T.O. being T.O. took on new meaning for even the staunchest of Philadelphia football fans.

The issue had to serve as a major distraction prior to the team's 17-10 loss to the Redskins, a loss that dropped the Eagles to 4-4 at the season's half-way point.

The Philadelphia Eagles announced today the disciplinary action they are planning on taking against star wide receiver Terrell Owens for derogatory comments Owens made toward the organization and fellow team members.  In a one-on-one interview with an ESPN contributing reporter, Owens mentioned several things that he is currently unhappy about in terms of playing on the Eagles.  

Once his comments were made public, Coach Andy Reid and the Eagles took almost immediate action.  Owens was suspended for the Eagles' Week Nine contest against the Washington Redskins, and now the team has announced that Owens will be suspended for three more games.  Following his suspension, he will be deactivated from the roster.  It looks as though Terrell Owens' stint as a Philadelphia Eagle is finished.

The Owens saga began in the preseason and has carried over until now.  First, Owens was unhappy with his contract and wanted it restructured.  Owens was just one year into a 7-year, $49 million deal with Philadelphia so the Eagles refused to renegotiate.  Owens threatened to hold out; the Eagles stood pat; and in the end, the contract was untouched.  Adding fuel to the fire was Owens' assessment of teammate Donovan McNabb's  play during the Eagles' Super Bowl loss in February.  Owens claims that McNabb got tired in the late stages of the game, and further implied that the quarterback got sick because of the pressure.  McNabb denied those implications, and a feud was born.

Though Owens and McNabb weren't exactly cozy during the preseason, they seemed to be able to put their differences aside on game days.  The two connected often during the Eagles' first seven games, with Owens pulling down 47 receptions for 763 yards and 6 touchdowns, including the 100th of his 10-year career back when the Eagles hosted the San Diego Chargers in Week Seven.  

That particular touchdown reception is the source of Owens' current discontent with the organization.  Even though Owens achieved that career milestone during an Eagles home game, there was no public acknowledgement of it.  Often, when a player reaches a career milestone of some sort, the organization will recognize it by announcing it over the public address system, putting a congratulatory message up on the scoreboard, or stopping play for a minute to allow the fans to recognize the player's achievements with a round of applause.

The Eagles didn't do any of that for Owens, prompting him to say in the interview that it show's the organization's "lack of class".  The Eagles replied by saying that they have a policy of not highlighting individual achievements.  

Later in that same interview, Owens took another shot at McNabb, saying that he agrees with a sports commentator's opinion that the Eagles would be undefeated if they had Brett Favre playing quarterback instead of McNabb.

The player's union is sure to file a grievance on Owens' behalf in order to challenge the pending disciplinary action planned by the Eagles, so this whole saga is not over yet.  But no matter what the outcome, I think it's safe to say that we will see Terrell Owens in a different uniform next season.





  

Here we are more than halfway through the NFL's regular season. With so many games in the books this year, it hardly seems likely that there are any "firsts" left to record this season. However, that's not the case - as evidenced by several firsts that occurred in this weekend's games. Let's take a closer look at what happened in some of those games.

Cleveland Browns over Tennessee Titans
The Cleveland Browns defeated the Tennessee Titans by a score of 20-14 today. It was just the third win of the season for the Browns, who are 3-5 so far this year. Running back Reuben Droughns rushed for 116 yards on 20 carries, while backup Jason Wright added 19 yards - including a 6-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It was Wright's first game of the season, and more significantly, he scored the first rushing touchdown of the year for the Browns. That leaves just one NFL team without a rushing TD through Week Nine: the Arizona Cardinals.

Atlanta Falcons over Miami Dolphins
Atlanta quarterback Mike Vick has frequently been called the most exciting player in the NFL by many sports analysts around the country. However, there are plenty of critics out there who say that he is more of a college-style quarterback and simply doesn't have the ability to become a top-rated passer in the pros. Well, Vick was out to prove them wrong this weekend. He completed 22-of-31 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown to lead the Falcons to a 17-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins. It was Vick's first 200-yard passing game of the season. There is now only one regular NFL starting QB who hasn't thrown for 200 yards in a game this season: David Carr of the Houston Texans.

Vick's 200-yard game wasn't the only first in this contest. Miami running back Ricky Williams, who came out of "retirement" this season, scored his first rushing touchdown of the year. Williams has seen limited action through the first half of the season, and has mainly been a backup to rookie Ronnie Brown.

Minnesota Vikings over Detroit Lions
With Daunte Culpepper perhaps lost for the remainder of the season due to an injury, Minnesota's backup quarterback, Brad Johnson started for the first time since October 3, 2004 when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 36-year-old Johnson completed 15-of-22 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Vikings to a 27-14 victory over NFC North rival Detroit. Both of Johnson's touchdown passes, a 5-yarder to Michael Bennett and a 15-yarder to Nate Burelson, came in the 2nd quarter as the Vikings jumped out to a 24-7 lead by halftime.

Minnesota, which is just 3-5 on the season, could really benefit from Johnson's experience and leadership. They've got a tough game against the New York Giants next week, and then play another important divisional game against the Green Bay Packers. If the team can sustain some momentum with Johnson, the season can turn around in a hurry.

No, three games does not a season make. And yes, teams often come out of the chute fast only to fall miserably once the games begin to pile up. But the amazing 3-0 starts of both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers is turning the common wisdom of the NBA upside down.

However, the Bucks really should not be all that much of a surprise. Once the team resigned their premiere shooter Michael Redd, added the number one pick in the draft Andrew Bogut, got a healthy T.J. Ford back in the line up and then traded for Jamal Magliore, the Bucks clearly had the makings of a solid team.

Two wins the opening nights of the season, both on the road served notice that this team was indeed much improved. Saturday night's triumph over the Shaq-less Heat verified that this is a team with playoff potential.

Redd has stormed out of the gate, averaging more than 31 points a game over his first three starts. Ford has been the playmaker the Bucks always thought he could be and is averaging more than 10 assists per outing thus far. And Bogut has proven worthy of his first round selecting, averaging a shade under 10 points per game and a shade over 10 rebounds per outing. The addition of Magliore and former Clipper Bobby Simmons gives the team excellent depth.

The Bucks are of course in the same division as the Pistons so remaining on top of the division is unlikely. But this is a team that should be solidly in the playoff mix come season's end.

For the Clippers, the running joke is that the current players on this year's team were in elementary school or diapers the last time the NBA dormat started a season 3-0. But the Clippers could be a factor this year, especially with their new starting backcourt of Cuttino Mobley and Sam Cassell to go with one of the NBA's most productive players, Elton Brand.

The 3-0 start for Clippers is their first since 1985-86. That year the team began the season with 5 straight victories, only to lose 12 of their next 13 and finished 32-50 on the season. Though one of this year's triumphs is over the hapless Hawks, Los Angeles has also beaten Seattle in Seattle and Minnesota at the Staples Center. To go 4-0, the Clippers will have to knock off the T-Wolves again, this time in Minnesota.

Cassell, Mobley, and Brand are all averaging more than 18 points a game in the early going, giving the team excellent scoring balance. Forward James Singleton is actually tops on the team over the first three games in rebounding,a veraging 9 an outing, but he should return to the bench once an injured Corey Maggette returns to the Clipper lineup. That bench could be the one issue for the Clips over the course of the 82 game season.

Yes it is still early and there could be another 12 losses in 13 games ahead for this team, but with the veteran backcourt in place the Clippers could actually make a run at a playoff run in a depleted Western Conference.

Just two weeks back I wrote of how the BCS System was once again destined failure. That the system works only if the top two teams in the country are unbeaten and from major conferences. That only under that one scenario does the BCS legitimately have a chance of putting the two best teams in the country in a winner take all, National Championship game.
Realistically, I stated, under any other scenario there will be legitimate questions about the poll and the selection of two teams.

And at that time in the 2005 season I noted that there was a chance that four teams from major conferences could all end the year undefeated. Because both USC and UCLA had to play against one another, only one could remain unbeaten though at the time both stood without a loss. Then there was Virginia Tech unbeaten and the dominant team in a very good ACC this year, though they still had some very tough games ahead of them. Then there was the much frustrated SEC, where both Georgia and Alabama were still undefeated, though the SEC Championship game would give one of them at least a single loss.

The SEC had to be frustrated I said, especially after unbeaten Auburn last year failed to make the title game and because either Georgia or Alabama could be on the outside looking in this year. The Big 12 and Texas continues to get the benefit of the doubt in BCS polls I wrote, even after Big 12 representative Oklahoma was demolished a year ago in the BCS title game.

I stated that the only consensus BCS championship game team would be USC, provided they did emerge undefeated. After all, the team is the two time defending champions and are rolling over opponents with one of the most powerful offenses ever seen in college football.

But the potential fiasco of the BCS could easily wind up OK now that only three teams have a chance to go through the season unbeaten. A Georgia loss to Florida derailed Georgia's unbeaten hopes while the Miami Hurricanes did the same to Virginia Tech. Throw in UCLA's surprise debacle against Arizona this weekend and now the list of unbeaten is down to just three teams.

For the BCS, options now abound to get the consensus top two teams in the game with both undefeated. Should Georgia top Alabama in the SEC title game, or if someone else tops Alabama and both USC and Texas win out, then the matchup of the two best teams is defensible. If UCLA upsets USC while Alabama and Texas roll through the rest of the schedule, then two unbeatens would again be left. Or if someone knocks off Texas, while Alabama and USC win out, then once more the title game is a given.

So all of a sudden the BCS is looking much better right? Wrong. All three current unbeatens could easily win out leaving the BCS exactly where it was a year ago, leaving out a real true contender. Yes that would be better than the four potential unbeatens that loomed two weeks ago. But also, the unthinkable could happen. Suppose UCLA upsets USC while Alabama loses the SEC title game and Texas loses the Big 12 playoff game. Oh my, then who does the BCS offer the title game to? One loss teams like Penn State, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Miami could then all make claims for consideration for the big game.

Two weeks ago I wrote that the BCS looked like a dismal failure once again. I stated that the system worked only if two unbeatens from two elite conferences managed to go through the regular season unbeaten. In fact, nothing has change about what I said except that the BCS for the moment is looking just a tiny bit better because college football is now at the point where the magic number of unbeatens just might happen.

But there are just as many scenarios that could have six or seven once beaten teams at year's end with not an unbeaten in sight. And what then of the Bowl Championship Series title game?

Stay tuned as there could easily be a BCS, part three.

This morning, I read a news item on the Yahoo! home page about a high school basketball game between Earlsboro High School and Hanna High School in Oklahoma.  There was nothing particularly special about this game; it wasn't a playoff or State Championship contest or anything like that.  What made this game newsworthy was the final score.  Earlsboro won the game 112-2.  That is not a misprint.  The Earlsboro coach was quoted in the news item as saying that the game was "embarrassing to watch."  The coach went on to say that he "couldn't" order his players to stop running up the score.

I have been involved with sports almost my entire life, both as a player and a fan, and I want to say right now that I wholeheartedly disagree with this coach.  Running up the score in such a fashion goes against the unwritten code of sportsmanship that applies to every sport out there.  I contend that the coach not only could have told his players not to shoot the ball and instead to pass a lot and help run out the clock, but also should have done so in keeping with good sportsmanship.  After all, coaches on every level, from youth leagues all the way to the pros do the same thing.

I went to a high school with a very good softball program.  Our teams regularly advanced to the state tournament each year, and we had several players win athletic scholarships to great colleges.  We even had a player go on to win a gold medal with the women's softball team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.  In short, we were a good team, and our opponents were not always evenly matched.  Anyway, when the score started getting out of hand (for example, if we were ahead by 10 runs or more and it was clear that the other team didn't have the skills to mount a comeback), our coach immediately took action to preserve the other team's dignity.  This was accomplished in a variety of ways, including swinging at bad pitches on purpose in order to strike out.  Our team members understood why we were doing it, and no one complained.  

You see this very thing in the professional ranks, too.  For example, if a football team is ahead by several touchdowns, they don't keep throwing bombs down the field in order to score even more.  Instead, they run the ball on every down and make conservative plays.  With time running out, the quarterback just kneels in order to kill the play, even if the team is well within field goal range.  

The bottom line here is that I feel the kind of display put on by the Earlsboro basketball team showed very poor judgment on the part of the coach.  I guess some would argue that in "real life" nobody is going to cut you any slack and ease up on you.  But this wasn't "real life".  It was just a meaningless basketball game.  The coach should have reined his players in and showed them what sportsmanship was all about.  I feel bad for the kids on Hanna High because they lost by 110 points, but I feel even worse for the kids on Earlsboro.

  

Two football programs that had lost their luster in recent years continued their fine 2005 seasons on Saturday.

For the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter snapped a 21-21 tie as the Irish rolled over the Tennessee Volunteers. For the Irish, quarterback Brady Quinn had another strong game, going 20-of-33 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.

Tennessee had rallied from a 21-3 deficit after Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski 78-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. But Brady Quinn completed a 73-yard pass to Jeff Samardzija to set up the tie breaking touchdown, a follow-up 4-yard touchdown pass from Quinn to Samardzija. The 73-yard pass was a great example of the Notre Dame pitch and catch game, where Samardzijia caught a short pass, then eluded a couple of tacklers and raced down the sideline before being caught from behind at the 2-yard line.

Notre Dame, thought to be playing one of the toughest schedules in the country moved to 6-2 on the season with the win. The Irish, already ranked 8th in the country could climb even higher with the victory.

For Penn State and Jo Pa, the Nittany Lions routed the Wisconsin Badgers in a Big Ten showdown, 35-14. Penn State, ranked 10th in the nation, raced to leads of 21-0 and 28-7 in moving to the top of the league with the solid victory over 14th ranked Wisconsin.

Behind double-threat QB Michael Robinson's 238 yards passing and 125 yards rushing, Penn State totally controlled the match-up. Tony Hunt also ran 151 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Nittany Lions ran the ball at will.

Penn State moved to 9-1 on the season and now only Michigan State stands between Jo Pa and a Big Ten title, and with it, a highly coveted BCS bid. After four losing seasons in five years, Penn State is in full return to the glory years that have been a part of the Paterno legend at Happy Valley. Penn State also owns wins over Minnesota and Ohio State while only a last second loss at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines has kept the Lions from a unbeaten season.

Oh, how quickly the memory of a first World Series title in 86 years is fading in Red Sox nation.

The architect of that championship, General Manager Theo Epstein, was unable to reach agreement with Red Sox ownership on a new contract leading the 31-year-old boy wonder to walk away from one of the highest profile jobs in Major League baseball. Reportedly, Epstein turned down a three-year deal worth $1.5 million annually.

In just three years at the helm, Epstein helped revive a Red Sox franchise that had experienced its share of big game failure. Among his many moves was putting the press on Curt Schilling, talking the big right-hander into donning a Sox uniform two years ago. Likewise, he managed to attract David Ortiz, a first baseman who has become a clubhouse leader and extraordinary designated hitter. Big Papi gave the Red Sox the best one-two hitting punch in baseball the last couple of years, combining with Manny Ramirez to put up some of the best hitting numbers in baseball history.

Then Epstein organized the trade of all trades last year. He gave up the face of the Red Sox, Nomar Garciaparra, in a move to build greater chemistry and improved defense in the field. That trade carried the Sox through their amazing run in 2004, coming back from three down to the Yanks to earning their first World Series title since 1918.

Epstein put together teams that averaged 96 wins per year over the three seasons. For the first time in Red Sox, they went to the post-season three straight years. Though the team was eliminated in three straight games this fall by the ultimate champions, the White Sox, the season was deemed a success, especially given the injuries to Schilling and Keith Foulke, and the incredibly poor performances of two stalwarts from 2004, Alan Embree and Mark Bellhorn.

Epstein also led a charge to rebuild the Sox farm system and rebuild it he did. This year's Portland Sea Dogs, the team's Double A affiliate was a force in the Eastern League. The team has numerous talented players with a big league potential.

Amazingly, outside of Boston, Epstein had a number of detractors. Those people insisted that he inherited a wealth of talent and was fortunate to be able to operate with the game's second-highest payroll. Many in that camp also stipulated that he benefited greatly from working under club president Larry Lucchino, chairman Tom Werner and principal owner John Henry.

The Red Sox have not commented since Epstein's resignation. And publicly, Epstein was nothing but praiseworthy of President Lucchino and Sox ownership. But media reports circulated that he left because of a growing lack of trust in Lucchino. Public leaks about the negotiations as well as the recent leaking of trade demands by Manny Ramirez are thought to have given Epstein great pause.

The timing of Epstein's departure leaves the Sox in a challenging spot. Negotiations with free agents are on hold and with center fielder Johnny Damon among that group, the team faces the potential departure of some key players. The Red Sox also need another front-line starter and bullpen back-up to support youngsters Craig Hanson and Jon Paplebon.

A number of possible candidates have been suggested as potential Epstein replacements. Among the highest profile candidates are Kevin Towers, Padres' Executive Vice President and GM, Pat Gillick, former Blue Jays, Orioles and Mariners GM and Jim Bowden, current Washington Nationals GM. Towers and Lucchino had prior success working together, helping the Padres reach the World Series in 1998. Bowden, a native of Weston, Massachusetts has shown he can handle the high profile media and the over zealous demands of ownership that come via a stint working for George Steinbrenner and the Yankees.

But none carry with them the one thing that Epstein had already produced for the Sox, a World Series title.

Each year, Major League Baseball presents a Gold Glove award to the player in each league who is the best defensive representative at his position. In this day and age, where offense and home runs make up most of the highlight reel footage, Gold Glove awards are really appreciated and respected by players and fans alike because of the stress placed on getting dirty and playing good old-fashioned solid defense day in and day out. Here's a quick look at this year's winners from both leagues.

Pitcher
American League: Kenny Rogers, Texas Rangers
National League: Greg Maddux, Chicago Cubs

This was the fourth win for Rogers. Maddux, meanwhile, has now won a Gold Glove an incredible 15 times in 16 Major League seasons. That puts him second on the all-time list behind the great Brooks Robinson and pitcher Jim Kaat. Maddux had won the Gold Glove for 13 consecutive years before Mike Hampton of the Atlanta Braves disrupted his streak in 2003. But Maddux got back on track last year and continued his winning ways this season.

Catcher
American League: Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox
National League: Mike Matheny, San Francisco Giants

This was Varitek's first Gold Glove and Matheny's fourth.

First Base
American League: Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers
National League: Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs

Teixeira is among the five first-time Gold Glove winners in baseball this season. Lee scores this award for the second time in his career, the first time being with the Florida Marlins two years ago.

Second Base
AL: Orlando Hudson, Toronto Blue Jays
NL: Luis Castillo, Florida Marlins

Hudson is another first-time winner and somewhat of a surprise choice, as many experts predicted that Brian Roberts of the Baltimore Orioles would win. Castillo has won the award three times now.

Shortstop
AL: Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
NL: Omar Vizquel, San Francisco Giants

No surprises here. Vizquel is a 10-time winner; Jeter has now won twice.

Third Base
AL: Eric Chavez, Oakland A's
NL: Mike Lowell, Florida Marlins

Chavez expressed some doubts about being able to win his fifth award, especially since he was hampered by a shoulder injury in the middle part of the season. Lowell is a first-time winner.

Outfield
AL: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners; Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins; and Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays
NL: Andruw Jones, Atlanta Braves; Jim Edmonds, St. Louis Cardinals; and Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillies

Ichiro has now won a Gold Glove every single season that he has been in the Major Leagues, for a total of five. Hunter, who has made a name for himself by climbing the outfield walls to snatch would-be home runs back into the ballpark, also won for the fifth time. This is the second Gold Glove of Wells' career.

Jones and Edmonds each won their eighth Gold Gloves, while Abreu joins the list of winners for the first time in his career.

Congratulations to all of this year's Gold Glove winners. Their outstanding play out on the field makes the game of baseball a whole lot more exciting to watch!

When it comes to NFL quarterbacks, mentioning the name "Manning" usually conjures up images of number 18 on the Indianapolis Colts. Indeed, Peyton Manning has been calling the signals for the Colts' offense for the last 8 years and has led that team to the playoffs the last three seasons in a row. Peyton has also won the league MVP award two years in a row: in 2003, he tied with Tennessee's Steve McNair; in 2004, he was one vote away from being a unanimous choice.

Along the way, Manning has shattered countless team records and quite a few NFL records. Last season, he threw an incredible 49 touchdown passes, which broke a record set 20 years before by the legendary Dan Marino. Manning also set a record with his 121.1 season passer rating, which was the highest by any quarterback since the league started tracking that stat.

This year, however, when you talk about an NFL quarterback named Manning, you are more likely to hear a discussion about Eli, Peyton's younger brother who is the quarterback for the New York Giants. By all accounts, Eli has had the better season thus far, despite the Colts being 7-0 while the Giants are 5-2. Let's take a look at how Eli's first full season as a starter has developed over the last eight weeks.

Manning is in his second year with the Giants and saw quite a bit of action last season. In fact, he threw for over 1,000 yards and had 6 touchdowns in the 2004 campaign as a student of former NFL and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner. This year, however, Manning was tagged as the starter well before the season began. Warner was shipped off to Arizona, and the offense has rallied around Manning ever since.

The Giants opened the season against Warner and the Cardinals, and came away with a decisive 42-19 victory. Manning attempted just 23 passes in the game, completing 10 of them for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, and had a passer rating of 62.2 for the game. He did some things well, but was clearly still learning.

Manning steadily improved over the next three games, throwing 7 touchdown passes and no interceptions during that span. His best game of the season so far came in Week Four against the St. Louis Rams. Manning was 19-of-35 for 296 yards and 4 touchdowns, which resulted in a passer rating of 120.7.

After a bye, the Giants came back to face the Dallas Cowboys. Manning engineered a fourth quarter touchdown drive to tie the game with 0:19 remaining in regulation. However, the game went into overtime and the Cowboys won on a 45-yard field goal. The very next week, Manning did the same thing against the Broncos. This time, however, the fourth quarter touchdown drive put the Giants ahead by one point with 0:05 left in the game. They beat the Broncos by a score of 24-23. Eli Manning had arrived!

So if you want to track a truly up-and-coming NFL quarterback, keep your eye on number 10 of the New York Giants.