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Each year the sports world yields some great one liners, sentences that are humorous for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes it is because they are so poignant, others time so prescient, still others because they are proven to be so blatantly false.

We begin with the last category, a quote by a man that I revere as a coach. It comes from Larry Brown. Says the NBA coaching Maverick, "I'm not going to coach anywhere but Detroit. It's my last pro coaching job." It would be a scant five months later that Brown would sign a contract to coach the New York Knicks.

Then of course there was the same type of line from a man many were just beginning to give due after years and years of strong hitting. The quote came from Rafael Palmiero at a congressional hearing. Said the slugger, "I have never used steroids. Period." A few months later, the Orioles hitter was suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive steroid test. By season's end, Baltimore had essentially told the slugger not to bother to come to work.

On the prescient side there is that of football's Terrell Owens. Said Owens, "No one gave me a chance in the world to play - except me," after playing in the Super Bowl despite being sidelined for three weeks. Unfortunately for Owens he ruined any chance of receiving credit for his hard work by proceeding to verbally trash the Philadelphia football organization.

Teammate Donovan McNabb responded with less prescient words. "With T.O., I think we can do a lot of great things. Without him, I still think we can do a lot of good things." Five months later, when Owens is thrown off the team for his antics, the Eagles' run of playoff appearances ends as the season falls apart.

In one of the more curious, there was Red Sox pitcher, David Wells, commenting on Kenny Rogers who got fined for physically abusing a TV cameraman. Said Wells, "I'm glad he did that. He needed to vent. I'm fine with it." Boston is trying their best to trade Wells back to the West Coast despite a strong season, perhaps statements such as these help solidify that trade decision.

On the poignant side, how about Dan Shannon of PETA, commenting after the news that baseball Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs, had been recognized by the Safari Club for having killed a lion, a leopard, a buffalo, a hippo, and a crocodile in Mozambique. "It takes a real 'chicken man' to shoot defenseless animals," said Shannon. Boggs was of course known for his game day superstitions that had him eating some form of chicken every day.

Perhaps more on the poignant side are the words of a child. After the Patriots released long time wide receiver Troy Brown because of salary cap restrictions, the Patriot was offered the chance to sign for better money with other teams. Brown would eventually resign with the Pats, perhaps in part due to the words of his son, Sir'mon Brown. "No, daddy, I want you to play for the Patriots."

The handsome Theo Epstein, who relishes his privacy had much to say about a request from Playboy to do an interview. Said Epstein, "Playboy wanted to do an interview with me. I turned it down. My buddies in the office were saying, 'You can't say no. What if they let you in the Playboy mansion?' So I told them, 'OK, I'll do it if you bring me and my 10 buddies from the office to the Playboy mansion and let us have a party there.'." We never heard if he got his wish but after failing to sign on with the Sox for 2006, the former general manager may get a great deal of privacy over the next year.

In the realm of the world that he just doesn't get it, the world that houses the likes of Terrell Owens and Ron Artest, we can now add Barry Bonds. As questions about steroid use erupt in spring training, Bonds tells reporters, "This is old stuff. It's like 'Sanford and Sons.' It's almost comical, basically. Are you guys jealous, upset, disappointed, what?" Many of course speculated that Bonds stayed off the field most of the season to fully cleanse his system from years of steroid use.

And again on the poignant side, there was former Red Sox first-baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, he of the World Series final out ball dispute. Said Mientkiewicz, now with the Mets, upon receipt of his World Series ring, "Mine's not made out of cubic zirconia, is it? Because of the World Series [ball] thing?"

And in the world of some form of reality, there was former Boston College linebacker and NFL All-Pro Bill Romanowski, confirming that he had indeed taken steroids in his career. Said Romanowski, "I pushed that envelope ethically and morally because if I could take something that would help me perform better and it wasn't on the list, I was going to take it." Romanowski proves a breath of fresh air and makes Barry Bonds look like a child behaving as he does.

And the President of the United States, as the New England Patriots were honored for the second straight year with a visit to the White House. Bush, the master of miss-steps got it right this time when he said simply, "Well, welcome back."

The year that was in 2005 had its share of memorable performances, good and bad. Some of the very worst moments were as usual, almost incredible in their sheer darkness while the strong performances only added the aura of specific athletes.

How about the sad Mike Tyson affair, who manages to somehow secure another fight only to be caught biting his opponent's nipple during the bout. Unheralded Irishman Kevin McBride took home the win in a heavyweight bout that hopefully ended the fighting career of one of the most pitiful boxers in pro history. At least Tyson appeared to finally understand this when he said, "my career was over in 1990. I'm finished."

Or the behavior of amateur players on the University of Connecticut mens basketball team. Scholarship players Marcus Williams and A.J. Price were accused of stealing $11,000 worth of laptops from the campus dormitories of fellow UConn students. The behavior of these young men however was only one of number of such repulsive stories involving collegiate athletes.

And the pro team to take home the honor, the Minnesota Vikings. First coach Mike Tice is fined $100,000 for scalping some Super Bowl tickets. Then team members organize a booze cruise, featuring lewd sexual behavior, to take their mind off the game of football. What a crew - they may need to seek out Terrell Owens to join their club.

Then there was Temple basketball coach John Chaney ordering Nehemiah Ingram into a game to purposely foul John Bryant of St. Joseph's. The player is so aggressive that when Bryant is fouled he is also injured and unable to play for the remainder of the season. At least Chaney has the smarts to take action and suspend himself from coaching for his questionable behavior, giving his players a lesson that discipline is for more than just young men.

Some incredible performances in 2005 demonstrated why sports are so fun to watch. How about Roger Clemens posting an ERA of 1.87 with the Houston Astros, the lowest ERA of his illustrious 22-year career? Unfortunately the man's other stats did not match due to his playing for a team that averaged 3.5 runs per game in those that Clemens (13-8) was the pitcher of record. In fact, the light hitting Astros were shut 8 times in games that Clemens started.

How about yet another incredible season from the consensus female athlete of the year, Annika Sorenstam. The young amateur Michelle Wie got a great deal of press but is was the sweet-swinging Swede who won another 10 LPGA events, proving once again she is the dominant female golfer and for that matter, still the most dominant female athlete in the world. Wie of course somehow managed to get disqualified in her first pro tourney when a fan stated she took an incorrect drop the day before during her round and upon revisiting the action that following day, officials rule Wie did indeed take an improper drop and this disqualified her. The integrity of golf makes that sport like any other.

Also in the golf world,what more can be said about Jack Nicklaus, who at the age of 65, manages to birdie the par-4, 18th at St. Andrews, the last hole he will ever play in a major golf championship. That indeed is the stuff of legends and speaks to why the Golden Bear is considered by many the best golfer to ever play the game.

Then of course, there is the man many think will one day be the best ever, Tiger Woods. The game's top player won both the British and the Masters in 2005 to give him ten majors prior to the age of thirty. At the Masters, Woods started his third round four shots behind Chris DiMarco, but in just 31 minutes, he proceeded to make three straight birdies to move one shot in front on his way to his fourth Masters win. In that same tournament, Woods may have had the worst shot of the tournament as well. Putting for birdie from the back of the 13th green in the first round, Woods gave the putt a bit too much and it rolled down the slope and on into Rae's Creek, leading to a bogey. It was a rare glimpse of mortality from the man who would win more than $11 million in prize money for the year.

There was the re-emergence of the Williams sisters in the world of pro tennis. Serena Williams recovers to win the Australian Open while older sibling Venus takes Wimbledon. Unfortunately for Lindsay Davenport, she is the loser to both players in the finals.

Further Kudos: Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins shows the same flair for hockey that defined the great Mario Lemieux. To Joe Paterno for showing that he can still coach, after all. To Alex Rodriguez, 29, for becoming the youngest player in baseball history to reach 400 career home runs. To Roy Williams for winning his first NCAA title upon his return to North Carolina. Then again, maybe this was more about his team than the coach as four starters, Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants, all leave the program by being selected in the first round of the NBA draft. To the Chicago White Sox and their management for winning the teams first World Series in almost 90 years. Somehow, the team won with a payroll of just $75 million. Of course to the average fan that may sound like a lot but it pales next to that of the New York Yankees, who spent $205 million only to be eliminated in the playoffs once again. To Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for winning the team's second straight Super Bowl and third in four years, something many thought impossible in the new salary cap era of pro football. To Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and coach Gregg Popovich for winning yet another NBA title in an epic battle with the Pistons. It is time people recognize that the San Antonio coach should be mentioned in the same breath as Riley, Jackson, and Brown. He is that good!

There are many very fine lines in the NBA, the line between being excellent and good is actually quite small. Likewise, the line between being good an OK team is slim as well. Finally, there is one other fine line, that of being OK and the one that defines being bad.

In recent weeks, a young and athletic Boston Celtics team, one that many hoped would be looking at the line between OK and good, has been sliding precipitously towards the line that separates OK and bad. By the time the team finishes their current five game road trip, they may have slid all the way across that line to the lowest of levels.

Early on in the season, the Celtics competed against the likes of Detroit and San Antonio and gave folks pause with some strong efforts. But the team also struggled down the stretch and lost several close games in the final quarter, keeping folks guessing. But in recent weeks, the fourth quarter failures have been frequent and the team's inability to defend and rebound consistently has Coach Doc Rivers exceptionally frustrated. In addition, the team turns it over all too often, a rate that has them right near the worst in the league.

The fourth quarter struggles and turnovers could be written off as a young team attempting to learn the NBA game. But the defense and rebounding speaks more to intensity and playing hard, two things a young team can do regardless of experience. It is in this arena that the Celtics are sorely lacking, a very troubling factor if there truly is the type of talent on the roster that the coaching and players insist is present.

But, a critical component that ekes its way into play is that of resiliency. When a team struggles, it is difficult to maintain confidence and focus. A failure to stop a team on one trip leads to discouragement and a failure to make the same effort the next trip. A young player struggling in the system can also lose focus, taking a five player defensive rotation and making it just a four player rotation, a recipe for disaster.

The young Celtics are experiencing the growing pains of playing in the NBA but the biggest concern now is that the team may lack the one key ingredient that allows a team to step across the various lines. That ingredient is mental toughness and it is the line the separates the good teams from the great as both usually have essentially the same talent. For Boston it is preventing them from crossing the line to good.

The Celtics are young and growing, but they appear ready to fall below the final threshold line, that of being a bad team. Unfortunately, the fact that they are near that line actually has to speak to less talent than necessary as well as falling below that line speaks to a lack of intestinal fortitude.

The recent Foxsports NBA power ratings have Boston in 26th place. When the C's dropped a game early in the season in Atlanta, there was a real wringing of hands in Boston, how could they lose to such a weak team? Now, the Hawks, younger and less experienced than the Celtics have climbed above Boston in those rankings.

Perhaps the team does have enough talent, like the players and coaching staff insist. If that is the case, then Doc Rivers may end up looking for a coaching job real soon. His team is in free fall and with every lack of success comes the difficulty of changing a losing mind set.

Bringing a team across the various line thresholds are what separate the good coaches from those that are just so-so. Right now, Doc Rivers is giving everyone the impression that he may be the latter when it comes to coaching ability.

In the world of professional golf, turning 30 is normally the step into the golden years for a golfer. If that happens to be the case with Tiger Woods, then the golf world had better get ready for an onslaught on the record books of epic proportions.

Tiger Woods, who turns 30 today, has already taken the golf world by storm. In July, Woods became just the second player to collect at least two wins at each of the four majors when he took home the Claret Jug in the British Open at St Andrews. The only other professional golfer in the storied history of the game to achieve that feat is the player generally regarding as the greatest golfer ever, none other than Jack Nicklaus.

Turning 30 has Woods primed for the chance to match and even surpass Nicklaus most amazing of achievements, winning 18 majors. Woods has garnered ten such titles already, leaving him in third place all-time standings behind Nicklaus and Walter Hagen (11). That majors mark continues to drive the world's current top player and with that mark Woods recognizes that golfing immortality is within his grasp, that perhaps he could one day even supplant Nicklaus as the greatest golfer ever.

Woods has many feats on his resume already, most of them the youngest player to ever accomplish a specific title. He became the youngest winner of the U.S. amateur at 18, then became the first man to ever win three consecutive U.S. amateur titles. In 1997, he became the youngest winner of the famed Green Jacket at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. His 12-shot margin of victory that year remains the largest in Augusta National history. Over the next eight years, Woods managed to accumulate three additional Green Jackets. He also has claimed two U.S. Opens, two British Opens and two U.S. PGA championships.

Woods earned more than $11 million world-wide in 2005 in a year that saw him regain his number one ranking after a one year disruption by Vijay Singh. Woods would win seven times in 2005 and take home his second British and fourth Masters title. He has moved a full seven points ahead of Singh, the number two ranked player in the world, and theoretically has little to accomplish other than the run on golfing immortality.

But Woods has all the career marks to take a run at if he can maintain his interest as he enters the next decade of his career. Woods has to also have his sights on the all-time PGA Tour wins list led by the incomparable Slamming Sammy Snead who won 82 events in his illustrious career. Next on the list is Nicklaus with 73, followed by Ben Hogan's 64 and Arnold Palmer's 62. Woods with 46 such PGA triumphs has those fellows in sight as well.

Maintaining his interest is something that is perhaps Woods greatest strengths to date, no player is as competitive or willing to gruel his way around the golf course like that of the current number one player. Entering his golden years with a shot to top both Nicklaus' 18 majors and Snead's 82 wins puts Woods in a position to perhaps top both lists one day. If he does so, then there will be no argument as to who is the best professional golfer to ever play the game.

When we get this late into the NFL season, the games obviously start to mean more and more to certain teams.  As a result, Week 16 brought us even closer to a clear playoff picture, with several teams clinching spots and several teams finding themselves eliminated from the 2005 postseason.  In addition, a couple of teams found themselves back at the top of their divisions and in a great position to win divisional championships in the final week of the regular season.  Let's take a quick look back at some of the best action from Saturday's and Sunday's games.

Chicago Bears over Green Bay Packers
The Chicago Bears made several statements in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Green Bay Packers.  First, they showed that they still take the Green Bay rivalry seriously.  All Bears fans will tell you that Packers' quarterback Brett Favre has been Chicago's number one nemesis since he took over the starting job in Green Bay way back in 1992.  In fact, in all that time, the Bears have only won a couple of games against the Packers and have never swept the season series.  Until this year.  

The Bears had Rex Grossman at the helm for this game, and he helped the offense make another statement on the very first play from scrimmage when he threw the ball downfield to wide receiver Bernard Berrian.  Though the pass was incomplete, the play helped the Bears serve notice that with Grossman, they have another dimension to their offense:  a passing game.  Grossman completed 11 of 23 passes for 166 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.  While those are hardly numbers that will land him into the Hall of Fame, they are significantly better than anything rookie Kyle Orton was able to produce on a consistent basis in his 15 starts this year.

Running back Thomas Jones carried the ball 25 times for 105 yards and a score, providing the Chicago offense with the balanced attack that has been lacking all season long.  Wide receiver Mushin Muhammad caught 5 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bears in that category.

The Chicago defense made a statement of their own on Sunday.  They intercepted Favre four times, including once on a desperation pass with time running out to preserve the victory.  The defense has played strong all season, and now with the offense coming around, the Bears are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.  

With the win, Chicago clinched a playoff berth, a first round bye, and the NFC North championship all in one fell swoop.  It was definitely a great Christmas present for all Bears fans!

The Bears will wind up their regular season against the Minnesota Vikings next week in what has now become a meaningless game.  But you can expect Grossman and a lot of the other starters to continue seeing action in order to get as much playing time as possible with each other before the playoffs start.

Baltimore Ravens over Minnesota Vikings
After a horrible 2-5 start through the first seven games of the season, the Vikings reeled off six consecutive victories.  Those six wins brought them right back into the thick of the playoff hunt in the weak NFC North division.  But with a loss last week in Pittsburgh, and a devastating 30-23 setback against the Ravens, the Vikings have officially been eliminated from the playoffs.  

Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller delivered a solid performance for the second week in a row, and showed flashes of the promising style of play that made him a number one draft pick back in 2003.  Boller was 24 out of 34 for 289 yards and three touchdowns.  In doing so, he spread the offense around by hitting six different receivers on the day.  Boller's favorite target was wide receiver Derrick Mason.  Those two hooked up a total of nine times for 103 yards and one touchdown.  The Ravens also got good game out of running back Jamal Lewis, who has had his problems at other times this season. Against the Vikings, Lewis carried the ball 24 times for 74 yards, including a long of 19.  

The Vikings' offense was able to come up with 23 points on the day, but a costly error in the 4th Quarter removed any hope for a victory.  Quarterback Brad Johnson, who is one of the players largely responsible for the Vikings' stunning turnaround this season, fumbled the ball after he was sacked by Adalius Thomas with just under two minutes left to play in regulation.  The Ravens converted that turnover into a field goal to increase their lead to 30-20.  Minnesota was able to get a field goal on their next possession, making it a 30-23 game with less than 20 seconds left to play.  The Vikings attempted an onside kick, but that was recovered by Baltimore to seal Minnesota's fate.

Johnson finished the game with 248 yards on 25 completions.  He also had two touchdowns, bringing his season total to ten.  Running back Mewelde Moore gained 49 yards on 10 carries, and tight end Jermaine Wiggins caught seven passes for 43 yards to lead the Vikings in those categories.

Kansas City Chiefs over San Diego Chargers
There's no question that the Chargers have had their ups and downs this season.  Most people expected a lot more consistency from the team, especially as stars LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, and Antonio Gates all returned for another year together.  And while a 9-6 record would be enough to keep the Chargers alive in some other playoff races, the AFC West is just too tough this year for that to be the case.  So, with their 20-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, San Diego will not be making a repeat appearance in the playoffs.

This loss was especially tough to take considering the Chargers had just defeated the previously unbeaten Indianapolis Colts one week before.  But this week, the high-powered offense led by the above-mentioned stars simply couldn't get anything going.  Quarterback Drew Brees completed just 18 of 33 passes for 161 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.  Running back LaDainian Tomlinson was effectively shut down by the Kansas City defense.  Tomlinson managed to gain just 49 yards on 15 carries and was held out of the end zone for fourth straight game.  The Chargers simply don't have the same chance at success without Tomlinson's contributions.  Meanwhile, Gates caught four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, but didn't generate the kind of production that San Diego fans are used to.  

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are still (barely) in the running for a postseason berth.  They need a combination of things to happen, which includes winning their next game against the Cincinnati Bengals.  In addition, the Chargers must lose again next week versus the Denver Broncos, and, in the most unlikely scenario of all, the Detroit Lions must beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.  If those three things happen, the Chiefs are in.  

They are in the position to make the playoffs because Larry Johnson once again came up big on offense.  The third year running back out of Penn State has been virtually unstoppable since taking over the starting job after Priest Holmes was sidelined with an injury.  Johnson carried the ball 32 times against the Chargers and gained 131 yards.  It was Johnson's eighth consecutive 100-yard effort.  He also scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown, bringing his season total to 18.  

Quarterback Trent Green also had a good game for the Chiefs.  Green completed 19 out of 35 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns on the day.  More importantly, he limited his mistakes and was not intercepted.  Tight end Tony Gonzalez had 5 catches for 58 yards, and wide receiver Samie Parker had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown to round out the Kansas City offensive production.

Seattle Seahawks over Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts organization was dealt a blow late in the week as the news of the tragic death of head coach Tony Dungy's son reached media outlets across the country.  Coach Dungy left the team in order to be with his family in Florida, and assistant Jim Caldwell will assume head coaching duties until Dungy returns.  This tragedy, coupled with the fact that the Colts have already sealed home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and the fact that the Colts' bid for an undefeated season ended with last week's loss to the Chargers, meant that Indianapolis most likely wouldn't be bringing their "A" game to Seattle.

And as it turned out, that's what happened.  As expected, Indianapolis rested most of their starters.  Quarterback Peyton Manning played in just one quarter and completed 9 out of 12 passes for 116 yards before giving way to backup Jim Sorgi.  Sorgi actually didn't look too bad, but he clearly doesn't bring the firepower to the game that Manning does.  Sorgi was 22 of 31 for 237 yards and one touchdown on the day.

Running back Edgerrin James carried the ball just 13 times for 41 yards in limited action.  Wide receiver Brandon Stokely had a good game for the Colts.  He caught five passes for 122 yards on the day.

The Seahawks still had something to play for.  They also wanted home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and that's just what they got with Saturday's victory over the Colts.  Running back Shaun Alexander came up big for the home team, as he has done throughout the entire season.  Alexander carried the ball 21 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his season total to 26.  That ties an NFL record set by Priest Holmes, and the early word is that Alexander will play in next week's meaningless matchup against the Green Bay Packers in an attempt to break the single-season touchdown record.  He certainly deserves it!

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck also turned in another good performance for the Seahawks.  He completed 17 out of 21 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions, which translated into an excellent 131.7 passer rating.  Tight end Jerramy Stevens hauled in five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Darrell Jackson chipped in 3 catches for 34 yards in the game.

The Colts will wrap up their regular season against the Arizona Cardinals next week.  You can expect the backups to see plenty of playing time in that game as well.  

No, for all of you sports fans out there, the tide is not Alabama. The tide is the way people are feeling about the idea of a college playoff system. As it turns out, there are a number of people in college athletics who are pushing to have a playoff system at least considered. Perhaps Congress' involvement, the second time Congress has looked at college football's Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in three years, will spur some athletic directors and university presidents to action. Perhaps they will at least consider the change.

One of the signs that the support for a college playoff system may be picking up steam is Lloyd Carr's announcement that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) should at least look into the possibility of a playoff system. Carr, the University of Michigan's coach for a decade, was one of the most vocal opponents of a playoff. Like many other coaches, Carr cited many reasons for his opposition to a playoff.

First, people who support the BCS or the old-fashioned crowning of the championship, which involved whoever was number one in the Associated Press poll at the end of the season, believe that it preserves something about college football that would be lost otherwise. Conferences are not broken up in favor of divisions. The bowls, many of them mainstays in the world of college football, are allowed to continue. There is something about bowl week in college football that cannot be replaced through implementing a playoff system.

Another opposition point against the playoffs is what it would do to the players. There are a number of players who would be affected. First, you would have to deal with the logistics of practices that would continue over the winter holidays. Many players, then, would be unable to see their families because of football season. Second, there is the possibility for a team to lose valuable players and have to make big changes because of eligibility.

Before you say it, I will concede the point. Yes, the players should do well in their courses regardless, and it is the job of the football coaching and support staff to help ensure that the players are performing well in school. Having been a teaching assistant at a huge university, however, I understand the demands placed on these players' time. And let us be honest. Some of them are just going to have rough semesters. So, a team could be left without a starting receiver because of the change in semesters over a playoff period.

Other eligibility issues include fifth year students. The NCAA allows for a fifth-year of eligibility if a player was red-shirted, or not used, during one season. That typically happens to freshmen or because of injury. So, many players are left taking one class in their final season of eligibility. Those players would then need to stretch out their classes because of the change in semesters, which really would amount to nothing more than them taking nonsense courses.

A playoff system could be a little tough to arrange as well. There is an on-going argument between the five major conferences - the Southeastern Conference, the PAC-10, the Big Ten, the Big Twelve, and the Atlantic Coast Conference - and eight minor conferences that the larger conferences are favored with a bowl system. That is because, the argument goes, those schools produce a higher caliber team. A playoff system would be looking at those situations and determine how to bracket conferences like the SEC with perennial powerhouse against conferences like Conference-USA, with an occasionally competitive team.

The playoff system seems to be gaining support, but there are no set plans in place. Many people say they want a playoff, but none of them have a clear idea how to deal with the hurdles it would create. When someone comes up with a viable solution to the BCS, then it may be possible for others to consider changing their opinions and at least giving thought to the idea of using a playoff to determine a true national champion. Until then, we will continue to have something to debate at sports bars and while watching Sports Center. There will continue to be controversy, which in the end is all the better for college football.

By Julia Mercer

The Mississippi-born Brett Favre has been a mainstay in the once-dominant Green Bay Packers organization. Favre, born in 1969 in Gulfport, Mississippi came to Green Bay from Southern Mississippi by way of the Atlanta Falcons in 1992. While playing at the tiny Hancock North Central High School under the direction of his father Irvin Favre, Brett was recruited by Southern Mississippi and only Southern Mississippi.

Favre did not go to Southern Miss as the starting quarterback but won that role before he started his first collegiate game. He led the team to two big wins: one against rival Tulane and the other against sixth-ranked Florida State. After that, the Brett Favre legend began to grow. Favre continued to dominate the teams against which he played until a car accident in the summer of 1990 almost took his life. Favre worked for four months to return to the field on September 8, 1990 against Alabama.

The Atlanta Falcons drafted Favre in the second round in 1991, but his career with the Dirty Birds never panned out. Favre developed a reputation as a partier, and he and Falcons coach Jerry Glanville did not get along well. Favre threw only five passes in his rookie year, and he did not complete a single one of them although two were intercepted. After that season, Ron Wolf, the former Jets General Manager, moved to work for the Packers. He wanted Favre and took him despite the doctors' concerns about a hip condition called avascular necrosis.

Favre's career in Green Bay did not begin well either. His first pass as a Packer was deflected, and Favre pulled it down for a loss of seven yards. He did get his start, however, when the Packers starting quarterback was injured in the season's next game. Favre began to start as quarterback for the Packers and is still doing so today. He is now signed to a lifetime contract with the Packers, and his contract is the first the team has made a lifetime deal. He is the NFL's first $100 million player with the lifetime contract.

Favre still developed slowly. He was unable to work himself into a consistent rhythm until 1995, when his training and playing style began to gel. Mike Holmgren worked with Favre to teach him how to become a Hall of Fame quarterback. The NFL rewarded Favre's play in 1995, when the Packers won the NFC championship, with the League MVP Award. The next year started to bring trouble for Favre.

Even with the success of the Packers, Favre's life was not all rosy. After a knee injury, he developed an addiction to painkillers. Early in Favre's career, beginning with his brief stay in Atlanta, he developed a reputation for being a heavy partier and drinker. When he announced his addiction to painkillers in 1996, he entered treatment for both the pill addiction and alcoholism. Many people faulted Favre for his addiction, but he has made huge strides after his recovery. Professionally, he led the Packers to their best season ever in 1996. He was named the National Football League's MVP, and the Packers beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, bringing home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for the Packers legendary coach.

The past few years have been traumatic for Favre. His father died in a car accident in Mississippi, very near the spot where Favre himself was seriously injured as a college student. Then his brother-in-law died on Favre's property in an all-terrain vehicle accident. Favre's wife has been diagnosed with cancer. Much of the family's property was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Still through it all Fave has remained a Packer.

The word came down yesterday that Favre's days as a Packer likely are numbered. The Pack has had a terrible season this year, and Lambeau Field does not have the same atmosphere that it had just a couple of years ago. Teams are no longer intimidated to go there. Fans are not the raucous crowd they have been in years past. And Favre is not the quarterback he was then either. He announced yesterday that he is not sure he fits into the Packers' plans anymore and is unsure that he will be back. It is probably for the past as it looks as if the best of the Packers' days are behind them. Favre's legacy will live on, though, and he will be remembered as one of the game's great, if troubled, players.

The Bowl Championship Series, or BCS, replaced the old voting system to decide on college football's national championship. This plan was supposed to eliminate controversy over the rightful winner of the title. The reality has been far less pleasant. The BCS, with the exception of this most recent championship season, has created split championship factions every year and has created much consternation every year over the top bowls.

Congress looked into the BCS in 2003 because of concerns about it being a monopoly. Over the past weeks, word has come once again that Congress will be looking into the way the BCS selects its champion and other bowl match-ups. When I first heard this news, I could not fathom any reason that Congressional members should spend their time worrying about the fate of college football. As a football fan, I am appalled to think of what government intervention would to do this beloved sport. As an American citizen, I am appalled that homelessness, wars, and other social ills are not more important than football. Still, I was willing to listen to the reasons Congress wants to look into it.

The basic argument goes as such: it is Congress' place to concern themselves with a multi-million dollar industry. College football is a huge industry even if it is connected to the nation's educational institutions. The major college teams, at schools like the University of Florida, Notre Dame, and the University of Southern California, make millions of dollars every year through sponsorships, ticket sales, and donations. Many of these schools are publicly funded universities, and that is where Congress steps in.

The BCS basically takes the USA Today poll, among others, and a series of computer rankings based on statistics. The BCS then calculates a total score for each team, and they are ranked that way. There are a few problems with the system. Some schools, like USC, are ranked high at the beginning of the year based on their performance in the last season. When a team, like Auburn University's 2004 team, starts out underrated, the team cannot overcome the initial statistical deficit when the human polls are taken into account. Thus Auburn was undefeated but denied the right to play for a national championship. Auburn, then, and all of the schools in the Southeastern Conference lost out on significant amounts of money from a national championship game.

The other problem is that the major bowls - Sugar, Orange, Rose, and Fiesta - have tie-ins, which are basically contracts with certain conferences. For example, the SEC championship team goes to the Sugar Bowl every year unless they are playing for a national championship. That means that a team could be ranked number 3 but not be appealing (usually because of a low fan base) or have a bowl tie-in and end up playing in a second-tier bowl, thereby losing out on the financial compensation.

Some Congressional members, then, believe that the BCS designation is hurting many public schools, which would make the issue under Congress' purview. I agree with Congress, as do almost all college football fans. The BCS didn't fix anything. In fact, it arguably made it worse. Still, I am not certain what Congress can do. For instance, do they have the right to force a playoff system, which would mean dismantling the conferences and readjusting schedules? Can the forbid a national championship being awarded? I am unsure.

A simple inquiry to tell us that the BCS is flawed, however, is not beneficial. We know that it is flawed. The problem is that there is little to do except go to an all-computer-based system. Although I generally despise taking the human element out of sports, such as in instant replay, I would support a comprehensive computer system. Using statistics seems to be the only real way that the right teams get into the championship game in the years to come. There would be no argument. USC could not call themselves two-time national champions. They would have to recognize LSU's 2004 victory. The world would see that many teams are overrated - and just as many underrated. All the world would be right. And then Congress to return to problems that really need their attention.

By Julia Mercer

The Cincinnati Bengals are playoff-bound. For the first time in 15 years, the Bengals will be among the National Football League's teams heading into post-season play. The Bengals today beat the hapless Detroit Lions in a 41-17 match-up that was not even that close.

The Lions are in the midst of a five-year rough spot in which they have performed poorly. They are leading the NFL in terms of the worst team record since 2001. Clinching the division title and a playoff berth, as the Bengals did today, should not seem so exciting against a team like the Lions. For the Bengals, though, any victory is a quality victory.

The fans in Cincinnati have waited a decade and a half for this type of performance, and they are cheering on their team. Of course, the team's players help the cause. Carson Palmer, TJ Houshmanzadeh, Chad Johnson, and Rudi Johnson, among others, are easy to like. You want them to win. Marvin Lewis is a coach's coach - confident but not arrogant, a solid, team-builder.

The Bengals came out roaring today, scoring on their first three drives. After a Lions fumble on the opening kick-off, the Bengals had only 20 yards to go to score. Sadly, they had to settle for a field goal, but that is no problem with Shayne Graham's leg, which is accurate 88 percent of the time.

Then the Bengals scored on a touchdown pass to Kelly Washington, a former University of Tennessee standout whose professional career leaves something to be desired. Next, Carson Palmer connected with Chad Johnson on a short pass into the corner of the end zone. Johnson, who looked surprised that he caught the pass, was uncharacteristically quiet when he caught the ball. He simply handed it to the ref, leaving the commentators baffled and with little reason to complain about the Miami native.

The rest of the game came and went in a blur. The Lions scored, but the game was never close. The Bengals scored on a run by Rudi Johnson in the middle of the fourth quarter to go up 38-17. The Lions effectively gave up after that, and Joey Harrington came in to replace the less-than-adequate Jeff Garcia. The Bengals capped off their win with a field goal late in the fourth quarter.

This effort by the Bengals would be all in a day's work for other teams, but Cincinnati has struggled to put together a decent team since the 1988 Super Bowl Bengals. The rumor around Cincinnati is that head coach Marvin Lewis has more say on personnel matters than did his predecessors, who all had to play to the whims of the football-destroyer Mike Brown, the son of legendary coach Paul Brown. The Brown family has little respect in the city of Cincinnati, particularly since taxpayers anted up the money for a riverfront stadium in hopes that the team would stay. Lewis, though, has brought fun and pride to the Bengals franchise once again.

It is unclear whether or not the Bengals will have home field advantage in the playoffs. They must wait to find out how the rest of the season pans out. The Bengals, though, have only two remaining games. One is against Buffalo, who has a losing record. The other is against the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year's Day. The Chiefs are 8-6 and could possibly prove a pothole on the Bengals' road to a home playoff game. There is little that could dampen the spirits of Bengal nation at this point, however, as the playoffs themselves are a huge leap for the franchise.

Still, for the Bengals even to be in the hunt at this point and able to concern themselves not with whether they will have a winning season but with whether they will play at home or away is a big leap forward for the team. Bengals fans have reason to be proud. Over the course of three seasons, Lewis has brought the team from being the laughingstock of the league to being a serious playoff contender. There are no signs that the Bengals' season is a fluke, particularly since Lewis improved their record drastically in the first year of his head coaching career. Way to go, Marvin and the whole Bengals squad!

By Julia Mercer

This trash-talking wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals got his start in Miami, Florida. Born January 9, 1978, coaches at Oregon State University drafted Chad Johnson and took him all the way across the country from his home. Johnson had a solid career at Oregon State before being drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft.

Johnson did not make an impact on the field immediately upon arriving in Cincinnati, but he began to win the hearts of football fans in a football ghost town. Johnson, who received the third highest number of fan votes in the 2005 Pro-Bowl balloting, in many ways bridges the gaps between older football heads and a younger generation. The older football fans believe in the Bear Bryant school of football, in which players perform their duties on the field, behave off the field, and are quiet about their feats. Johnson speaks to a younger crowd, most of whom believe that it is okay to shout and scream and make it known that you are excited.

Johnson's antics after scoring and even off the field comments about opposing teams are made in fun. There is little doubt that Johnson is dedicated, and thus the older fans can ignore his good-natured stabs and props. Younger fans feel that Johnson is what they want others to see; Johnson is Terrell Owens without the scowl. He works hard and deserves the right to celebrate.

Johnson first made headlines in Cincinnati during Marvin Lewis' rookie head coaching campaign. The Bengals were beginning to turn the tide from embarrassment to point of pride that year, and they had their biggest test. They would play the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs, who were making other NFL teams look like little leaguers.

Lewis was none to happy with the proclamation, as he has a more stoic approach to the game. Fans, though, loved it. Cincinnati was abuzz with excitement about the game, which the Bengals ultimately won. Johnson became the town's hero! He got shoes ads. His jersey sales shot up. He gave hope to the city.

Since that time, Johnson has made other proclamations and guarantees. Probably the most embarrassing thus far has been the Pepto-Bismol debacle at the end of the 2004 season. Cincinnati's most heated rivalry, if you will, has been with the Cleveland Browns. Both teams are an embarrassment in a state that was pivotal in bringing professional football to the nation. With the Bengals on a roll in 2004 (a roll for the Bengals anyway) and poised to have their first winning season since 1990, Johnson sent bottles of Pepto-Bismol to the Browns' safeties and corners, as an indication that they would be sick after seeing Johnson's play. Instead it was Bengals fans who were sick, as Johnson had a terrible outing and the Bengals lost, ending their season at 8-8, a .500 mark for a team that hoped to start winning.

This year's Chad Johnson has made many pronouncements and funny comments, but he gained the most attention for a sign he created and put at his locker. Headed by "Can you stop 85?" Johnson has the names of the primary defenders for each game the Bengals play with boxes for yes and no answers. He also has had a number of choreographed touchdown celebrations, such as pretending the ball is a baby, playing golf with the ball, and staging a mock proposal to one of the team’s cheerleaders.

Lewis, for his part, has learned to go with the flow. He brings Johnson back when he needs to but mostly lets everyone join in the fun. In response to this year's sign, Lewis posted one for Chad asking if he has done everything he can to help the team. Johnson takes such subtle scolding in stride and works even harder to be the game's best receiver. Despite the concerns of older fans, a new generation is dawning in football. Kids who grew up watching Deion and others who made the game something more exciting are now the men playing the game. They are not content to sit by without showing their joy. The fans love that thrill. And in Cincinnati that thrill comes in the form of Chad Johnson.

By Julia Mercer

When the Syracuse Nationals began their basketball-playing days in 1939, no one knew that they would in 1946 become a charter member of the National Basketball Association or that they would become one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. The Nationals did well in the 1950s and worked hard to make it to nine straight playoff appearances, including making it to the NBA finals twice. The Nationals could never quite manage a win, however, and the team became mediocre by 1963. Like many sports, in basketball mediocrity is not acceptable, and fans soon forget the glorious years in favor of the most recent season.

The story holds true for the Nationals as well, who left Syracuse in 1963 to make their new home in Philadelphia. Irv Kosloff, who had made a fortune in the paper industry and wanted to bring basketball back to Philly after their Warriors left for San Francisco in 1963, bought the Nationals and brought them to Philadelphia. Kosloff wanted to give them a new start and renamed the franchise the 76ers in honor of Philly's long connection with America's founding.

Then Kosloff made one of the best personnel moves in 40 years of 76er history. He returned Wilt Chamberlain, one of basketball's greatest legends, to Philadelphia. Chamberlain had been playing with the Warriors, but Kosloff made the trade to bring him back. Shortly after the move, the 76ers made their way into basketball history. With strong coach Alex Hannum, the team went on to win their first NBA championship, beating out the old Philly team in a six-game series. The Sixers were on their way to becoming one of the great teams, and they had a great cast of players, including Chamberlain, Chet Walker, and Billy Cunningham.

The glory would be short-lived, however, as the Sixers began a long six-year slide in the next season. They did well throughout the season and started out the playoff with convincing wins against the Celtics. Once the Celtics started winning, though, the Philadelphia team could not pull itself together. Instead they lost that year and did not make it back to the playoffs until 1976.

In 1976, the Sixers acquired Julius Erving, or Dr. J, who would become a mainstay in Philadelphia sports lore. Dr. J's Sixers began a comeback tour with an impressive regular season and then playoff series wins over the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets. Though the Sixers would ultimately lose to the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA championship, they showed that they had started to turn things around. The Sixers were acceptable but not magnificent throughout the next few years, but when they gained Moses Malone from the Rockets in 1982, everything seemed to fall into place. The Sixers stormed through the conference, eventually winning their second NBA championship.

The 76ers have not yet won another NBA championship, despite having a number of talented players. The early 1980s was home to the Charles Barkley era. The 6ers eventually traded Barkley in a move that many people still consider a poor decision, but the truth is that Barkley was loud-mouthed and did nothing to help the team reach another championship. Barkley is considered by many to have been a stand-out player, did not have a stellar pro career, and the 6ers management made worse mistakes, such as trading future Hall of Famer Moses Malone. When Comcast bought the team in the mid 1990s, president Pat Croce, a self-made millionaire, drafted Allen Iverson, and hope returned to Philly.

Many people believed Iverson would bring a championship back to the storied franchise, which has seen many great players come and go. Iverson has been unable to do so, however. The closest the team came was in 2001 when the ran the table in the Eastern Conference before losing to Phil Jackson's Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. His supporters point to poor personnel and coaching decisions; his detractors point to Iverson's inability to play a team game. Either way, Philadelphia is without a third championship for the foreseeable future. Iverson, like other Sixer greats, will be remembered for the ways he has changed basketball, but he will not be remembered for bringing a championship home to his team.

By Julia Mercer

Have you ever wondered what happened to some of college's top football players? Some of them make amazing NFL careers. Others do as expected but provide little excitement. Still others disappoint the fans who hoped they would provide salvation to teams in need. Here is a look at the 1995 draft's top ten picks.

The Cincinnati Bengals - who are now playoff bound! - drafted Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter with the first pick of the 1995 draft. Carter was supposed to help turn around a disappointing franchise that would remain out of the playoff for a decade after Carter's draft. Carter tore his ACL in the preseason before he even played for the Bengals. He went on to stay with the team for seven years, compiling only 1,000 yards total. The Bengals sent him to the New Orleans Saints, and he is now retired. Carter is considered a huge flop, one of many for the Bengals.

The then-new Jacksonville Jaguars used their pick, the second, to select offensive tackle Tony Boselli, who was a Jaguar for his whole career. Boselli was considered soft but still managed a decent career with the Jaguars, playing in five Pro Bowls and receiving many accolades during six seasons with the team. The Houston Texans selected Boselli in the 2002 expansion draft, but he retired after being on injury reserve for one season.

Houston made probably the best choice in the draft with the number three pick, Steve McNair. Out of the small Alcorn State, McNair did not make a name for himself with the Oilers in Houston, he did well once the team relocated to Nashville and became the Tennessee Titans. McNair is their starting quarterback and helped them win the 1999 AFC championship and a Super Bowl appearance.

Colorado wide receiver Michael Westbrook went to the Washington Redskins with the fourth pick of the draft. Westbrook played with the Redskins in a lackluster career until 2002, when he went to the Cincinnati Bengals. He played one season there and then was among the players let go at the beginning of the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati. He does not currently play.

Kerry Collins, a quarterback from Penn State, went to the Carolina Panthers. He played with them before being traded to the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders, who have not been consistent the past couple of years, started Collins at quarterback in 13 of their 2004 games.

The St. Louis Rams drafted Kevin Carter with their pick. They played Carter for six seasons before sending him to the Tennessee Titans. In 2005, Carter went to the Miami Dolphins where he is still playing. He has recorded 27 tackles and 5 sacks so far this year.

The Philadelphia Eagles essentially wasted their pick on Boston College defensive end standout Mike Mamula. After playing in a few games, it became obvious that Mamula was prone to injury. He also claimed not to be interested in the game any longer and retired after the 2000 season.

Ohio State's Joey Galloway, a wide receiver, went to the Seattle Seahawks. After a short time with the Seahawks, Galloway went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played for them for a time before they traded him to the Dallas Cowboys for star player Keyshawn Johnson.

Kyle Brady, a tight end for Penn State went to the New York Jets in the 1995 draft. He is better known for his performances with the Jacksonville Jaguars, however. Brady's best year in the NFL was in 2000, when he had 64 receptions for 700 yards.

The tenth pick belonged to the San Francisco 49ers who used it on UCLA wide receiver J. J. Stokes. Although Stokes had been a college standout, his NFL career stalled. He played eight seasons with the 49ers, never receiving more than 800 yards. The 49ers sent him to the New England Patriots for two years. He is now retired.

These players are only a few from the 1995 draft. Once considered the best college football had to offer, only of them, Steve McNair, lived up to his potential. The others had decent or disappointing careers as a result of one of the less appealing drafts in NFL history.

By Julia Mercer

In a recent interview, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, one of the boy wonders of the online world, said that he thought the National Basketball Association (NBA) could not gain more fans because they are not marketing correctly. Cuban has some ideas to help the league because after all, his own Mavericks depend on the league's overall marketing scheme.

Reading the Cuban interview made me start thinking about how the NBA markets itself and why I do not watch more games. I came up with a couple of solutions, and I wonder if other would-be NBA watchers would agree.

First, I cannot have a team because there is no team that I can see often enough to invest myself in them. The Los Angeles Lakers have a cable television deal, which apparently works since they are one of the league's more popular teams despite their problems of recent years. If someone asks me, I say that I am a Philadelphia 76ers fan although the reality is that I like the cultural image of Allen Iverson. There are a handful of 76er games on each year that I can see, but I rarely even watch them. I will watch the 6ers if they are in the playoffs, but otherwise I do not tune in.

Perhaps the NBA should consider the success that Ted Turner had in making the Atlanta Braves America's team. Turner was able to do that because he had all of the Braves games televised, either through Major League Baseball contracted showings or on his own TBS station. That works! I knew I could count on seeing the Braves games and following their progress. The NBA should consider that example.

One of the other reasons that I do not watch the NBA is because I feel that the league as a whole is out of touch with the game and the fans. Who are the fans anyway? I have read that they are 18-35 year olds. I have read that they are older and wealthier. I will assume that they are the former; the sponsors and corporate donors are the latter. If you want masses of fans, which will bring in more advertising money, then why not allow the players to hype up who they are? Why institute a dress code? Why try to see like the players' parents all the time? If the league office revamped its image, basketball would benefit.

Finally, what is the deal with the ticket prices? Have you ever tried to get into a game? When we lived in Georgia, I thought that a fun trip may be to see the Atlanta Hawks. Few people are desperate enough to want to see the Hawks play. I, like many other people there, really was going to see Iverson when the Sixers came to town. The prices were prohibitive for us to attend.

Okay, I will admit. I was in graduate school when prices were that high, so that may be why it seemed to be so much. Still, you would think that supply and demand would apply. When I have seen a few of the games, the arenas are not full - far from it. Why, then do prices not go down? If the average fan cannot get in to see your teams play, then they have no interest in supporting the teams at all.

The NBA has a good product but they seem unwilling to do anything about it. Sports commentators have focused on the influx of non-American players over the past few years and the rise of the international game. I am left to wonder if any Americans really care. Basketball, despite its American roots, could go the way of other sports and become something that Americans play but not all that well. That is, unless the league decides to correct its image and give us something to watch.

Bobble heads will not do it! I am not paying $100 for a ticket to get a free bobble head, mini-basketball, or chance to win $15 gazillion by sinking 53 3-pointers at halftime. There is no way. Instead of trying to trick fans to come to the games, why not give them a reason to want to be there?

By Julia Mercer

With just two weeks remaining in the NFL's regular season, almost every game has playoff implications for at least one of the divisions out there.  That was certainly evident on Sunday, as many teams either clinched playoff spots, edged closer to a playoff berth, or sealed their postseason fate by not getting the job done.  Let's take a look at some of the games that may have had an effect on the playoff picture.

Denver Broncos over Buffalo Bills
The Denver Broncos have been playing strong all season, and with a 10-3 record coming into Sunday's matchup against the Bills, had a chance to lock up a playoff spot for the third year in a row.  That's exactly what they did as they defeated the Bills by a score of 28-17.  

The key to the Broncos victory was their resurgent offense, which had been struggling in the last couple games.  In fact, Denver managed to score just 12 points against the Baltimore Ravens in their Week 14 victory.  Today, however, the Broncos offense seemed to be firing on all cylinders.  Quarterback Jake Plummer played a solid game, completing 20 out of 37 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns.  That put him over the 3,000 yard milestone for the fourth time in his career, but with 3,007 yards through 14 games, Plummer is well off the pace he set last year when he finished the season with a personal-best 4,089 yards.

Also coming up big for the Broncos was veteran wide receiver Rod Smith.  Smith pulled down 11 receptions for 137 yards, including a long of 37.  He also caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Plummer with under a minute left to play in the 2nd Quarter to tie the game at 7-7.  The running game was clicking right along as well. Starter Mike Anderson got back on track this week after having a disappointing game against the Ravens last week.  Anderson carried the ball 21 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns that help put the Broncos ahead for good.  

New England Patriots over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed improbable that the defending Super Bowl champs would be able to make it back to the playoffs.  At the halfway point of the season, the Patriots lost a big game on Monday Night Football to the Indianapolis Colts, which put their record at a very mediocre 4-4.  Already decimated by injuries, things didn't look to be improving much as starting running back Corey Dillon tweaked a knee and had to sit out for a couple of games.  However, the Patriots managed to win four out of their next five games, and came into a special Saturday game against the Buccaneers with a chance to clinch the AFC East division championship.  A surprising 28-0 shutout of the Bucs got the job done.

It was only fitting that quarterback Tom Brady, the man who has been responsible for so much of the Patriots' success, would be the offensive leader yet again for New England.  Brady completed 20 of 31 passes for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 3,888 yards and 23 touchdowns.  He is the league leader in passing yards, and is averaging a whopping 277.7 yards per game.  

Dillon also made some big contributions on offense.  Despite gaining just 48 yards on 19 carries, he accounted for two of the Patriots' four touchdowns.  He scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter, and then on a 2-yard pass from Brady in the fourth quarter.  Once Dillon is back to full speed, the Patriots will really be dangerous.

Chicago Bears over Atlanta Falcons
Even though the Bears didn't clinch a playoff berth on the strength of their 16-3 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, they did creep a bit closer, thanks to losses by the Minnesota Vikings, Buccaneers, and Dallas Cowboys.  In beating the Falcons and shutting down the ever-elusive Michael Vick, the Bears made several statements.  First, the number one-ranked defense in the league really is that good.  And second, the offense finally has a decent quarterback.

About the first statement there can be no doubt.  The Bears held the Falcons to just 232 net yards and six first downs on the day.  A 1st Quarter field goal by Todd Peterson was the only time the Falcons were able to dent the scoring sheet.  And the defense also created three turnovers in the game.  That's pretty much what you expect from the Bears these days, so none of that was surprising.

What could be considered surprising is the second statement.  Although rookie Kyle Orton led the team to a 9-4 record coming into Sunday's action, not many people were very confident in him.  His stats have been awful, and most of the Bears' victories could be chalked up either to the defense or the running game.  In fact, most of the time, all Orton had to do was hand the ball off to Thomas Jones or Adrian Peterson.  He started and stayed in the games because third-year man Rex Grossman has been sidelined since training camp with an injury.  But now that Grossman is back, head coach Lovie Smith has other options.  He exercised those options at halftime after seeing Orton go just 2 of 10 for 12 yards in two full quarters of play.

Grossman ignited the crowd and the offense at the same time when he came trotting onto the field.  He completed his first pass of the season on the next play, and moved the offense along very efficiently.  Grossman finished the day with 9 completions on 16 attempts for a total of 93 yards.  More importantly than those numbers, however, is the fact that having Grossman in at quarterback gives the Bears offense a legitimate passing game.  Whereas with Orton the team was one-dimensional, which allowed opponents to key on the run, the Bears can now take some shots through the air.  If Grossman gets into any kind of groove just as the playoffs come along, look for the Bears to go far.

Cincinnati Bengals over Detroit Lions
The Bengals' spectacular season continued on Sunday as the team rolled to a 41-17 victory over the hapless Detroit Lions.  With the win, the Bengals clinched the division title and a playoff berth for the first time since 1990.  They are now 11-3 on the season, and have two regular season games remaining:  one against the Buffalo Bills next week, and the finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 1.

Quarterback Carson Palmer bounced back from the worst outing of his career last week.  He was once again in top form and showed why the Bengals have come this far and exceeded all preseason expectations.  Palmer complete 28 out of 39 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.  It was Palmer's eleventh multiple touchdown game of the season, and he broke the Bengals' team record for touchdown passes with 30.  The record was formerly held by Ken Anderson, who had 29 touchdown passes way back in 1981.  

Another Bengal that was on top of his game against the Lions was running back Rudi Johnson.  For the second consecutive week, Johnson rushed for over 100 yards.  He gained 117 yards on 24 attempts in the game.  He also scored two touchdowns in the second half to help put an exclamation point on the Bengals' victory.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati defense also played a great game.  They held the Lions to just 270 net yards of offense, and forced four turnovers in the game.  Defensive back Deltha O'Neal recorded another interception, which brings his season total to 10.  He leads the league in that category.  Troy James and John Thornton also had picks for Cincinnati, and Tab Perry recovered a fumble.

For any Cincinnati fans who are worried of a possible letdown next week, there really shouldn't be anything to fear.  The Bengals will still be trying to win their remaining two games in order to have a shot at getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  That means all the regular starters should be getting plenty of playing time until the game is decided one way or the other.

San Diego Chargers over Indianapolis Colts
I am including this game in the week's review not so much because of its playoff implications but because this was the Colts' first defeat of the season.  So the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only unbeaten team in the history of the NFL.  

The Chargers came out swinging and didn't give the Colts a chance to get their bearings.  Quarterback Drew Brees connected with wide receiver Keenan McCardell on a 29-yard touchdown strike in the 1st Quarter to put the Chargers up by a score of 7-0.  A couple of defensive stops and two Nate Kaeding field goals later, the Chargers were suddenly ahead by a score of 13-0.  It should be noted that until that first San Diego touchdown, the Colts had never so much as trailed in a game this season.  

Then Colts' coach Tony Dungy appeared to make a mistake on a crucial fourth down call in the 2nd Quarter.  The Colts were facing 4th-and-goal from the 1 yard line when Dungy and quarterback Peyton Manning opted to go for the touchdown instead of kicking an almost sure-thing field goal.  Manning was denied and the Colts had a big goose egg on the scoreboard going into halftime.

The Colts mounted a bit of a comeback in the 3rd Quarter, but were then shut out by the outstanding San Diego defense in the 4th Quarter.  There can be no doubt that the Colts were playing to win and were beaten straight-up by the Chargers that day.  

Brees finished the game with 22 completions for 255 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.  Manning, on the other hand, was 26 out of 45 on the day for 336 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.  Chargers' running back Michael Turner was the team's leading rusher.  He had 113 yards on 8 carries, which included an 83-yard touchdown run in the 4th Quarter to seal the victory for San Diego and ruin the Colts' chances at a perfect season.

The easiest people to shop for are those who are extremely passionate about something.  As it happens, Supercross and motocross fans are some of the most zealous in all of sports.  That means a great gift is not that hard to come by.  You can purchase Supercross and motocross-related items in person by visiting your local off-road motorcycle or ATV shop, or you can order from various motocross websites online.  In addition, you can always find something at the official Supercross website (www.supercross.cc.com) or the official website of the AMA Pro Racing, the sanctioning body of professional Supercross and motocross in the United States (www.amaproracing.com).  Here are some gift ideas to get you started.

Event tickets
I think most sports fans would agree that attending an event in person ranks as one of the best experiences they can have.  Supercross and motocross fans are no different in this respect.  Therefore, event tickets would make for awesome stocking stuffers that the recipient is sure to enjoy and remember for a long time.  The Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross Series takes place from January to May, and runs through sixteen venues across the country, from Anaheim, Calif. to Dayton, Fla. with stops in such major cities as Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Atlanta.  Meanwhile, the AMA National series goes from May to September, and makes stops at twelve different venues across the country, from Sacramento, Calif. to New Berlin, N.Y., with stops in states such as Colorado, Washington, Maryland, and Minnesota.  With a total of 28 events to choose from, you're sure to find something taking place relatively close to your home at some point during the year.

Officially licensed rider merchandise
The fan bases for both Supercross and motocross continue to grow each year -- thanks in large part to the charismatic crew of riders that compete on the circuit.  It only makes sense that the sport would take advantage of the most popular personalities by marketing officially licensed goods with the riders' likeness and/or number on them.  This kind of marketing was made even more attractive when the AMA adopted the "permanent number" system a few years ago.  That means that no matter how Ricky Carmichael finishes in a season, he'll always have first claim to the #4.  That's good news for fans who snap up #4 branded merchandise throughout the year.  

Officially licensed items include t-shirts, replica jerseys, caps, and sweatshirts, stickers, wristbands, lanyards, pajamas, backpacks, lunchboxes, and more.  You can also purchase series- or venue-specific souvenirs such as programs, event t-shirts, key chains, and similar items from special booths located at each event or from the websites mentioned above.  Current riders that have officially licensed merchandise available include:  Ricky Carmichael, Chad Reed, James Stewart, Kevin Windham, Broc Hepler, David Vuillemin, Mike Larocco, Jeremy McGrath, and others.

DVDs and videos
These days, there are a lot of Supercross and motocross themed DVDs and videos on the market.  One of the most popular series right now is The Great Outdoors.  Available on both DVD and video, The Great Outdoors is basically a highlight reel of the most outstanding moments of the AMA outdoor National series.  You'll get a look at all the best racing action, as well as some cool behind-the-scenes footage that you won't find anywhere else.  The Great Outdoors is definitely a must-have for any Supercross or motocross fan.

The Bar-to-Bar series is another must-have for dedicated fans.  Bar-to-Bar does for the Supercross series what The Great Outdoors does for the Nationals.  This DVD (or video) brings you highlights from all 16 rounds of the AMA Supercross series and includes some behind-the-scenes stuff from those races as well.

In addition to the series highlight films, you can also purchase many DVDs and videos that feature specific riders.  For example, Travis Pastrana is without a doubt one of the most popular personalities in the sport.  As a result, there are many Travis Pastrana DVDs out there, including Revelation 199 and his Travis and the Nitro Circus series (containing three separate films to date).  You'll also find videos featuring the "King of Supercross", Jeremy McGrath (the Steel Roots and Terra Firma series), an old Ricky Carmichael video (Wrath Child), and general videos featuring lots of different riders (the Crusty Demons of Dirt series, etc.).

There is a lot of debate in football as to which is the best way to break a tie game at the end of regulation. But when it comes to which overtime format is most fair and most exciting, there can be nothing like that of the format used by the NCAA.

The NFL format is extremely simple - perhaps that is why it is less appealing and at times more frustrating. After regulation in a tied NFL game, a coin toss takes place to determine who will receive the ball first. After that toss, the team losing the toss kicks off to the other in the same format that starts all games. Fifteen minutes are placed on the score clock and play begins. In the NFL, the goal is simple, the first team to score in any manner wins the game.

In the NCAA format, if a game is tied at the end of regulation, there is also a coin toss to see who gets the first possession. But that toss begins only the first overtime period, there is then potentially a series of untimed overtime periods. In any overtime period, each team gets one possession of the ball beginning at the opposition's 25-yard line. The team with the ball first has the opportunity to try and score, either a touchdown or field goal, but that will not end the game. The opposition will also get a possession with the same opportunity, to either match or top what the first team did. If a team scores a touchdown, then they also have the chance to do either a one point or two point conversion after the score for the first two overtime periods. After that, any touchdowns must be accompanied by a two point conversion try.

In the NFL, the team that wins the toss will likely opt to receive the ball. After all, if they kick off and the opposing team scores, the game is over. However, in the college game, the winner of the coin toss generally opts to play defense first, that way they know what they have to do when they have the ball to stay in or win the game.

In the NFL, two alarming trends have developed, both reducing the excitement and leaving spectators to view the overtime period with less interest, especially if the observer is not an ardent fan of one of the two teams playing. First of all, statistics show a 52 to 48 winning edge for the team that wins the toss including a 30% percent chance of the team with the ball first driving to a winning score. Therefore, in the NFL, roughly one of three overtime games ends with only one team ever seeing the football (106 of 381 NFL overtime games have ended with only one team ever having the ball.

Second, in the NFL, the first to score wins. This also lead to a boring practice of the chip shot field goal becoming the winning score. A team driving down the field will eventually get close enough to the goal line that their strategy will change from seeking a touchdown to that of simply getting close enough for a game winning field goal, because the first to score wins.

In the college overtime format, after starting on the 25 yard line, a team has the option to earn two first downs and to take the ball to the end zone. In fact settling for field goal often leaves a team thinking that they may have already lost the game as their opponent will have their chance to score as well. Because both teams get the same chance, the first overtime often fails to determine a winner. In fact, many overtime games go touchdown after touchdown, leading to some incredible scores such as the 71-63 Razorbacks win over Kentucky in 7 overtimes a few years back.

But what seems eminently more fair, both teams getting an opportunity to score, also leads to great excitement. After all, in the NFL, when a team wins the toss and starts marching down the field there is the immediate feeling that the game is soon to be over. If your team is the one that never gets the ball, you find yourself frustrated and angry that a coin toss effectively decided who would win. In the NCAA format, the first team scoring is only the start of the session, much action still remains when the second team has its chance to score.

The NCAA format removes special teams for the most part, as there are no punts or kick offs. That is something that infuriates the game's purists. But the inherent fairness that the college rule offers both teams, giving both at least a chance to win, is not the key element. Instead, teams are always striving for touchdowns, looking to score the most points that they can, even during the overtime period. The format allows for a lot of scores and consequently a great deal of excitement.

And by basing the outcome on scoring the most points, the overtime takes on the same format as the game itself. For that reason alone, the college format is a better option for football, particularly if two NFL teams are tied at the end of regulation, in the payoffs, or worse yet, tied at the end of the Super Bowl.

The NCAA has the better format, by far.

With his 84 consecutive starts on the line as the Pats attempted to claim their third straight Division Title this weekend in a tough match-up against Tampa Bay, Tom Brady was limping just as the Patriots appear to be getting healthy as a team.

But in true Brady fashion, the Pats quarterback not only made it onto the field for his 85th straight start, he led the Pats to their most dominating performance of the season, a 28-0 thrashing of the Bucs. On the afternoon, the two time Super Bowl MVP went 20 for 31 for 258 yards and three touchdowns. The performance also included the most important of QB stats, zero interceptions, and of team stats, a win.

In the past, Tom Brady has not been a quarterback with significant individual stats. Instead, the Pats QB has been known for late game comebacks and for winning football games, including nine straight playoff games. But as the 2005 season draws towards its conclusion, Brady finds himself ranked among the league's best passers in what is arguably the best regular season performance of his young career.

In the midst of his sixth pro season, Brady currently leads the NFL in passing yards with 3,888, nearly 600 more yards than the game's best QB statistically, the Colts' Peyton Manning. That yardage already represents a career high and with two games remaining Brady should bury his former best mark of 3764 passing yards in 2002.

On top of the yardage mark, Brady is completing 63.5 percent of his passes in 2005, the second best mark of his career and he has 23 touchdown passes, his third best total ever. With two games remaining he has good chance to top his 28 touchdown passes in 2002 and 2004. Perhaps most importantly, Brady's QB rating is a career best 93.3 for 2005.

The lack of a running game has hurt the Pats all year. Corey Dillon has seldom been healthy and a banged up offensive line has opened few holes for the backup runners. That has led to the team's need for Brady to carry them to this point in the season, and carry them he has. In the early going, he threw for more than three hundred yards in three of the first five games of the season against some of the league's best teams.

Though he continues to play well, as his team has improved its play in recent weeks, Brady has thrown for 300 yards in only one of the last 8 games. However, he has four games with a QB rating of more than 110 over those eight games, one of them his fine performance yesterday.

Earlier in the year Brady had signed a new $60 million, 6 year deal that was more than double his prior 4 year, $29.6 million extension signed back in 2002. However, in raw numbers, the quarterback's salary number pales next to Manning and that of the Philadelphia Eagle's Donovan McNabb. But still it was a major deal for the Pats and for Brady, a man many feel is truly the heart and soul of the Patriots team. Brady is seemingly more comfortable pumping iron with his linemen than he is talking publicly. But then whenever he does take the podium, he says all the right things, always focusing on the play of the team and upon winning.

The Pats clearly have no regrets with the contract in this, its first year. Since winning is what Brady has always appeared to be about, the organization was content even if he wasn't previously the game's highest rated passer. In 2005, when the Pats have gone through a season after losing their offensive and defensive coordinators, several key players to retirement and the salary cap, and still other top performers to the injury list, Brady has responded with his best season statistically.

And of course on top of that, he has continued to do what he has always done best, lead his team to victory. In spite of all the injuries and players lost in the off season, the coaching changes and playing the toughest schedule that always faces a defending Super Bowl Champion, Brady has led the Pats to a 9-5 mark and yet another Division title.

Winning is something Brady has done in extraordinary fashion once he joined the NFL. Virtually every football fan is aware that Brady now has three Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards. Many are also equally aware of his astonishingly perfect 9-0 playoff record. What many are not aware of is that he also has a regular season won-loss mark of 57 wins and 19 losses since taking over as the starting quarterback for New England in 2001.
Add those two together and you get 66 wins against 19 losses.

Brady is having his best year ever in the NFL, but in doing so, he has shown no signs of letting up on the specific number most important, the number of wins. Given Tom Brady's pedigree, he would trade the best season of his career for something else in a heartbeat - a fourth Super Bowl title.

But then again, never, ever, count Brady short. He just might accomplish both this year.

Football was my first love. As a child, my family made a special point to watch football games every Saturday. Fall Saturdays meant two things in my family: hunting and football. I rarely went hunting with the boys, but football was something everyone could enjoy. On days when Georgia had a big game, we would grill hot dogs and hamburgers, and chicken for the adults. We would have chips and dip and other football treats. Then we sat back and watched the game. New Year's Day meant good football, not hangovers and resolutions.

As interested as we were in college football, however, we never watched the National Football League. Perhaps it is because we lived in Georgia, and as one of my high school teachers used to say, "when Atlanta got a team, they told us to give it a few years, and they'd be good. That was 1968. We're still waiting."

Did all of this football watching actually do anything for my childhood? Do millions of men across America have a female ally who would argue vehemently that they should be permitted - even encouraged - to watch football as a family? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding yes!

In a time when families spend less time together than ever, football is a great way to bond. First, you do not have to talk. While that may not sound like a plus for family bonding, some families have trouble communicating when they hit a rough spot. Everyone shuts down. Football permits you to enjoy something together while you work out your communication problems. The best part is that you will start talking. You cannot watch an entire game without letting out little exclamations about beautiful passes, stupid coaching decisions, and the plight of your team. Football engenders communication about entertainment in families where discussing heavy topics can be strained.

Football also teaches about loyalty. Ask any college or pro fan, and he or she can tell you the favorite team immediately. Football means finding a team and sticking with them, following their decisions and feeling their emotions. Loyalty is an important concept that few people learn today. Sticking with a team through rough times is a wonderful analogy for sticking together as a family when choppy waters are ahead.

The game of football is about depending on others. While people who do not understand the game, either because they do not have the focus for it or because they have not watched it closely, football looks like it is about running after the person with the ball only. That is not true! The game is about working as a team for a common goal. The quarterback depends on the offensive line. The kicker depends on the secondary to stop punt returns. Everyone depends on the kicker to come through in clutch situations. Teamwork is absolutely necessary in football because a mistake from one person can change the course of the game and thus the team's fate.

Now that I have my own family, and live away from the powerful Southeastern Conference, I have incorporated this love of football into my own little family's life. My husband, a native of Cincinnati, grew up without ever having seen a single football game. His indoctrination was immediate and complete. We spent the first couple of years that we were dating glued to college games on television, and I explained the intricacies of the game to him. We also developed a taste for the professional game.

Our son, born just two weeks before 2005's Super Bowl, is learning early about the importance of the game to our family's life. Although we had to leave early from a Cincinnati game we attended early this season because there was too much going on for our little one, he has become accustomed to our yelling, dancing, and armchair coaching throughout the season. We have finally taught him how to make the touchdown sign - just in time for the bowl season.

While many people belabor football's promotion of violence, I know what football can bring to a family. It can bring camaraderie between the generations and a desire for a common goal. Football was a way to bond with my family.

By Julia Mercer

Ice skating is a classic wintertime sport that is fun for both adults and children alike, and is a great way for families to spend time together.  It is also an excellent form of exercise in the winter months when you might not really feel like doing anything else.  You basically have two options when it comes to ice skating:  you can go to an indoor rink, or you can go to an outdoor rink.  Let's take a look at what kind of experience you can expect to find at each.

Indoor skating rinks are pretty easy to find, especially if you live in the suburbs.  Most of the time, these are basically just hockey rinks that are opened up to the public for general skating on designated days.  However, there are some instances where an indoor skating rink is designed specifically for family-style skating at all times.  It doesn't really matter which one you choose; both are equally safe (and fun).

At indoor rinks, you can expect the ice surface to be pretty well cared for, and the rink operators may even conduct some basic maintenance at regular intervals during breaks in the open skating time.  Because the ice will generally be rather smooth, many beginners find it easier to skate at an indoor rink when they are just starting out, rather than an outdoor rink.  So this is something to keep in mind when you are considering which kind of rink to take your family to.

Besides great ice, another advantage to taking your family to an indoor rink is the fact that you'll be able to rent your skates.  Most indoor skating rinks have rental skates i