Thursday 08/23 A.M. Quickie:30 Runs, Brady Daddy, Webb Watch, USA Hoops, More!

Oh, mercy! Rangers put up 30 runs: In this Worst Summer Ever for sports, there have been glimmers of glorious frivolity.

Isn't it nice to have a moment when we can all kick back, stare at the 30 runs -- 30! -- that the Rangers hung on the Orioles and enjoy the distraction that comes with something that hasn't happened in baseball since the 19th century.

And it begs a question of particular relevance given that we're in the middle of the Little League World Series:

Should Major League Baseball have a "mercy rule?"

The easy (and obvious) answer, of course, is "no." But maybe there's something to the idea. Aside from the novelty (and the impact on record-keeping), there was little point to continuing the game after the Rangers' lead reached, say, 20 runs. (The Little League mercy rule is triggered at 10.)

Would anyone have blamed the Orioles if newly "un-interimed" manager Dave Trembley had forfeited the game during the top of the 8th inning? (Especially considering they still had a second game of a double-header to play immediately afterward. With the idea of salvaging a split, it's not such a ludicrous idea. I would have given him huge credit if he did forfeit Game 1.)

Perhaps you believe that professional players should have to take their defeats in any and all forms. I was on a JetBlue flight and watched the highlights probably half-a-dozen times, unable to look away, even after multiple viewings. It's hard to feel mercy when you're laughing.

But -- if the (not unreasonable) clever gamesmanship implications of a "mercy"-driven forfeit don't do it for you -- maybe MLB can (or should) learn a little sportsmanship from their pre-pubescent peers.

Tom Brady joins the Varsity Dads: Congrats to Brady (and Bridget). Aside from Tiger, I can't imagine a more theoretically ideal father if you had to grow up the son of a sports star.

Reader E.F. quickly responds with an astute observation:

"How about any father that is married to the mother? What is the point of having Tom Brady as a dad if you don't ever seen him because he lives 2000 miles away from the mom who will be raising him?"

Brandon Webb Milestone Watch: Consecutive scoreless innings streak ends at 42 after Prince Fielder ruins it with an RBI single in the 1st.

MLB Stud: Albert Pujols, who homered for the 5th consecutive game. (In case you were, like me, too enthralled by the Rick Ankiel story to notice that Pujols is still the king of the Cards.)

MLB Dud: Cole Hamels, who went to the 15-day DL, temporarily tweaking the Phillies' postseason-race chances (and his own NL Cy campaign).

NFL: Jerome Bettis admits to faking an injury in Steelers camp in 2000 in order to avoid getting cut.

Rather than thinking of this as scandalous, I think it merely pulls back the curtain on what I can only imagine is an incredibly popular -- and widespread -- tactic among players, particularly aging stars.

(But nevertheless, anytime in sports – especially in the hyper-macho world of pro football – someone deploys the phrase "faked it," it doesn't sit well with most fans' ideas about sports and meritocracy.)

More NFL: Eli vs. Tiki. Seriously, do you really care? Here are two of the least likeable personalities in the NFL of the past year. If they want to feud, let 'em. Neither deserves the air time or attention.

USA Hoops: Thumps Venezuela 112-69, behind Carmelo Anthony and Michael Redd's 17 points. Kobe had only 14 points, but a team-high 5 assists.

Vick Watch: Why would Stephon Marbury defend Michael Vick? Marbury had built up an incredible amount of good-will from his populist sneaker line. Then he goes and erodes it by taking an insanely unpopular position.

Meanwhile, an NAACP leader wants the NFL and the Falcons to let Vick return after he does his jail time. I think that's the wrong battle to pick.

Meanwhile, 50 dogs found on Vick's property will be euthanized if they are not claimed by today. The problem is that the dogs are so brutalized that a domesticated life is probably unrealistic, with euthanization the only humane thing left for them.

Golf: FedEx Cup "Playoffs" and the question: Does anyone really care? Mainstream pundits have made a mistake trying to make this about casual fans.

(I'm not quite sure what a "casual" golf fan is: Someone who only watches the majors? Someone who only watches if Tiger is contending on Sunday?)

I think the PGA's "playoff" marketing is about keeping the more avid golf fans interested, using language (if not appeal) that casual fans can understand.

CFB: Did somebody mention Tim Tebow? (No? Just me wedging him into the discussion? Oh well.)

More CFB: I just filled out my first preseason ballot for the Blog Poll Top 25. The process (not the poll itself) affirmed how difficult (and ludicrous) it is to try to rank teams now. My guiding principle was to rank them based how I think they'll end the regular season (as opposed to my ballot after each week's games, when I'll rank them based on actual performance).

For an example of another BlogPollster, here's the entry from EDSBS. I'm not one to talk, but needless to say, I don't have South Carolina at No. 6. (But my list is so uninspired, so far, that I have to give him credit for taking a flying leap now, when the premium should be on clever choices.)

The real surprise (especially to me, as I realized what I was about to do) was which team I ended up ranking No. 1. (Hint: It was NOT USC.) I'll reveal that (plus the entire Top 25) next Monday to kick off the week-long college football preview coverage.

(Wow, between the CFB preview coverage and the celebration of the blog's one-year anniversary, next week's going to be a big week.)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/22 A.M. Quickie:Radomski, USA Hoops, 10 RBI, CFB, RIP SportsLine, More!

When I started writing the a.m. post today, I was wondering if there'd be all that much to write about. Turns out, there's a ton. Be sure to work your way through the whole thing for items on: Kirk Radomski! Garret Anderson! Brandon Webb! Larry Johnson! USA Basketball! Eddie Griffin! ESPN's 25-hour college football pre-game show! And…the death of CBS SportsLine! (No joke.) Tons more, too...

Kirk Radomski named names: He told the Mitchell Commission which MLB players bought steroids from him. Let the water-cooler guessing-game begin. It remains to be seen whether Mitchell will reveal the names – I wonder if MLB will see any particular big names on the list and tell him to keep it quiet. (Related: Why wouldn't Radomski steal Mitchell's thunder and reveal the list himself? He's already going to jail. Must have been part of his plea agreement. Not sure how that can possibly be legally binding.)

MLB Stud: Garret Anderson, for his 10 RBIs in last night's Angels route of the Yankees. 10!

MLB Must-Track: Brandon Webb puts his 42-inning scoreless streak on the line tonight.

Matt Murphy is going to sell Bonds' 756: Apparently, the tax burden was just too great to keep it. (Wouldn't it be cool if sports memorabilia wasn't taxed if you planned to keep it and never sell it, thus gaining financially from it?)

NFL Camping: Chiefs sign Larry Johnson to a 6-year extension with $19 million in guaranteed payments. The question is: After setting an NFL record with 416 carries a year ago, can he possibly keep up that pace? (He was my No. 1 draft pick in the Kissing Suzy Kolber keeper league, so I sure as hell hope so.)

Meanwhile, will Jeremiah Trotter (released by the Eagles) wind up elsewhere or call it a career? And who do you think Romeo Crennel will name as Browns starting QB in the week before their first game? It's like he and Charlie Weis are running the same playbook of "Don't name the starting QB until the last possible minute." Is Crennel leaving the door open for Brady Quinn to start in Week 1?

USA Basketball '07: Can the reconstituted team change the fortune of a franchise more accurately labeled "USA Oops" than "USA Hoops?" Winning the FIBA Americas tournament, which starts today, is no gimme.

(First things first: I refuse to use the label "Dream Team" – the only "Dream Team" was 1992. Everything since then was Team USA.)

Oh, sure, Team USA can capture one of the top two slots to get the Olympic bid (god, could you imagine if they couldn't?), but those of you expecting the team to steamroll to a title obviously have forgotten just how good Argentina is.

The biggest difference between this USA team and teams of recent past? This team has Kobe Bryant. And for all of the talk about "commitment" and "specialization," what Team USA really lacked was a go-to scorer with a killer instinct. Enter Kobe.

(And, yet, what does it say that I'm still not sure that even with Kobe, Team USA can beat Argentina to take the tournament?)

Do you want to buy David Ortiz' Mercedes? What if he'll personally deliver the keys to you? (Is this like the Seinfeld where George Costanza bought Jon Voight's car, only to find out that the car really belonged to John Voigt – NOT the actor?)

Vick Watch (begrudgingly): Vick's reps want a meeting with Roger Goodell before the Commish makes his final decision on Vick's fate. Not sure what good it'll do him. Goodell has no choice but to ban him for life. Or, perhaps, it's simply easier said: Vick will never play in the NFL again, regardless of whether he's banned or simply persona non grata.

(After Vick does his time in jail and after he's done a year of his NFL ban, if he's turned himself into a model citizen – no easy assumption, though it is obvious to the rest of us that that's what you need to do – I could see pitching Goodell on a reinstatement, perhaps after a second year's worth of banning.)

Meanwhile, how soon before Vick is charged in Virginia?

By the way, PFT remains your must-read source for all things Vick (in addition, of course, to all things NFL anyway).

NBA Gambling: Here's what the new NBA gambling-investigation czar Lawrence Pedowitz should recommend to the NBA – no players, coaches, refs, team employees or league employees should be allowed to gamble, even in Las Vegas.

(But gambling is legal in Vegas, you say? True enough, but it's WAY too easy for the legal gambling to turn into an illegal problem. The standard is easy enough: Just don't do it. Are players/employees so allured by gambling's pleasures that they couldn't stay away – what does that say about their potential for running into a problem in the long term?)

By the way, there's been one guy who has been (relatively) quiet throughout all of this: Charles Barkley (correct me if you've heard him speak out a lot about the subject of the NBA and gambling). Given that he's an admitted gambleholic, why hasn't anyone pointedly asked him the question: Have you ever bet on basketball, and did you ever bet on basketball as a player?

Eddie Griffin was killed in an accident, thus ending the life of one of the more cautionary tales in recent NBA history. Griffin was a prodigious talent – quite possibly one of the best prep power forwards in the last 20 years. He showed flashes of instability in college, when he (literally) fought with his teammates. He jumped from Seton Hall to the pros after one year, never really fulfilling his potential at the NBA level. Until last week's tragic ending, he was best-known for his most recent dust-up with the law, involving being caught in a self-gratifying moment in his car. He goes from throw-away punchline to cautionary tragedy.

CFB: The U. is leaving the Orange Bowl. It's a dump of a stadium, but Miami sure has a lot of great memories there of on-field success.

More CFB: ESPN is announcing a brilliant idea: A 25-hour pre-game show next week heading into the college football season opener. (Don't try to argue anymore that college football isn't our nation's No. 2 national pastime behind the NFL.) There are a couple of amazing details (via USAT), like what will they do overnight? Well, Hawaii has moved its practice just so it can have the 3 a.m. slot all to itself. Live-bloggers, you have been challenged.

By the way, Orson at EDSBS just put out his Week 1 viewing guide. Seriously: If you're not reading EDSBS every day (or multiple times a day), you're missing out on the single greatest college football blog experience.

CFB Preview: I know that my CFB ramp-up on the blog has been iffy (huge week next week, I swear), but here's today's question – which players aren't on the Heisman radar, but should be? I'm not saying they'll win (anyone – particularly a dark horse – will have a hard time eclipsing Arkansas' McFadden, and if not D-Mac then USC's Booty, and if not Booty then Louisville's Brohm). I'll have my Top 10 Heisman Watch List next week.

By the way, speaking of commenter response, that was an incredible discussion in the comments yesterday about which athlete is the biggest waste of talent of all time. If you haven't checked it out, click on the post below and scroll through the comments.

H.S. Football: USA Today's Top 25 came out and, unsurprisingly, Southlake (TX) Carroll is No. 1. Intriguingly, they have a game scheduled for mid-September against the team ranked No. 2: Controversial Miami Northwestern, which should feel lucky to even field a program this season. It's a de facto national championship game – in September!

Online Sports Media: RIP, "SportsLine." Buried at the end of Heistand's USAT column is the note that CBS is changing the name of its sports site from "SportsLine" to "CBSSports.com."

Thus ends a branding era in online sports that began in the mid-90s as an intriguing (if inferior) competitor to ESPN.com; signed one of the original "anchor" programming deals with AOL (back when AOL was everything), demanding my first company (acquired by AOL) be put out of business as part of the deal terms; enjoyed an IPO; got swallowed by CBS; went through a tailspin decline of relevancy; brought in non-talents like Gregg Doyel (but smartly developed the only columnist on the site worth reading, Clay Travis); went through even more of a precipitous decline of relevancy; and, now, finally, simply gives up on its old brand name and will likely slink even further from view, despite the monster presence of CBS Sports' TV engine behind it.

DS.com football predictions games: The clock is ticking down. Sign up using the links on the right. Group name: Daily Quickie Readers. (No password needed!)

-- D.S.

Tuesday 08/21 A.M. Quickie:Vick, Ankiel, Jenks, Grossman, Durant, More!

Michael Vick to plead guilty: Let the closure begin! But only after we speculate over...

How much prison time he'll do!
(Over/under: 12 months)...

When the Falcons will waive him!
(Not soon enough)...

And if his NFL career is over!
(Assumed jail time + NFL suspension afterward + radioactive reputation + the decline of age = all signs point to yes)...

Vick Fatigue? At this point, I think most fans are ready to put the whole thing behind us. We've all got fantasy teams to manage or real-life teams to obsess over.

But there's an interesting spin-off question, now that we're headed into the home stretch of Vick joining the Oz intramural team...

Biggest Waste of Talent Ever? Michael Vick will star in his own version of "The Longest Yard," while the rest of us consider – if we consider anything – what an epic waste of talent Vick has managed to pull off.

Depending on how you feel about Vick as a QB talent -- you can't deny what was his superstardom -- he might have finalized his status as the biggest waste of talent in modern sports history.

Commenter question: Who are the biggest wastes of talent in modern sports history. Consider an elastic definition of "waste," from "coulda-been" waste (Len Bias) to "never-was" waste (Tony Mandarich or Todd Marinovich). I contend Vick is the biggest waste of all.

Then thank the sports fates for perhaps the most classic antithesis of a waste of talent, featured in the next paragraph...

Cardinals within 3 games of NL East Central lead: That would be thanks to a win, led by yet another home run from Rick Ankiel (along with Albert Pujols... how amazing is it that Pujols takes a backseat on his own team, in terms of intriguing must-see player?) YES YES I AM A MORON FOR SAYING EAST. DAMN!

Jenks Watch: He wasn't able to break the MLB record of retiring consecutive batters (gee, thanks, Joey Gathright), but he still ties it at 41, in what could be the most remarkable "milestone" record in what feels like a season of them.

MLB Stud: Mark Teixeira, who hit 2 HR (for the 2nd straight game).

MLB Hot Waiver Action: Jeff Conine joins the Mets. Don't laugh: Jeff Conine has TWO rings. TWO. Say it again: TWO RINGS.

I'm late on this but...: Read this Slate column about MLB's Pitch f/x. I buy it: It's going to revolutionize statistical analysis. (The technology, not the column itself.)

NFL Camping: Trent Green was named Dolphins starting QB. Seriously, this was in doubt? Isn't this why they brought him in? (Is Cleo Lemon that good? He might be, yes. Just not yet. And by then, John Beck will be ready to step in. And Cleo gets the shaft... again.)

Bears 27, Colts 24: And that was DESPITE Rex Grossman, who provided a full game's worth of his personal brand of triple-threat (INT, fumble(s), sacks) -- in all of 26 snaps.

CFB: Jimmy Clausen cited for transporting alcohol. Actually, I didn't know either that transporting someone over 21 to get alcohol, if you're under 21, is illegal. It's not like he was boozing it up himself. No: A college freshman would NEVER drink alcohol. It's UNHEARD of.

More CFB: Sam Keller named starting QB at Nebraska. The Arizona State transfer seems like the best fit yet for Bill Callahan's "This Ain't Your Daddy's/Momma's Huskers" Offense (a.k.a. the West-Coast offense). Keller is thrown into a brutal situation immediately: After a opening-week warm-up vs. Nevada, Nebraska plays at Wake Forest, then hosts No. 1 USC, only the toughest defense in the country.

Uniform Watch: Iowa State is letting fans choose its football helmet design. Here's the link. I would personally prefer the one that says "Cyclones" in script over the "I State" and "ISU" versions. But I won't vote, because it should be left to Iowa State fans to decide. I'm an online populist, so I approve the tactic, but they don't need me skewing the results best left decided by real fans.

In case you missed it: Yesterday was the debut of my new weekly college football guest-post on Deadspin. I'm thrilled to be writing it, with a lofty bar already set by Deadspin weekly soccer correspondent David Hirshey, who – as one person astutely remarked to me yesterday – creates the single-best soccer column in America today.

USA Hoops: Kevin Durant was the last guy cut in order for the team to make the 12-man limit for the FIBA Americas tournament that starts tomorrow. Management has gone away from the "any-star-that-will-have-us" to not only demand a multi-year commitment from the superstars, but to fill out the roster with role players like Mike Miller and Tyson Chandler. (I still contend that the No. 1 difference-maker will be having Kobe Bryant, the unstoppable scoring threat.)

RIP, "Wild Bill" Hagy, the uber-Orioles fan who I remember so fondly from my childhood as the lunatic who stood up and led the crowd in a cheer of "O-R-I-O-L-E-S! Orioles!" by using his body to form the letters.

Name to Know: Sheila Drummond, the blind golfer who hit a hole in one. Feel-good story of the week.

You ARE smarter than me: Just a reminder to hit the links on the right and sign up for any/all of the four football prediction games that I created leagues for. Group name: Daily Quickie Readers.

-- D.S.

My New Weekly CFB Column Debuts on Deadspin!

Here's the link. Totally exciting. Running weekly, every Monday, on Deadspin. Sort of like David Hirshey's weekly soccer column -- eh, less brilliant.

Monday 08/20 A.M. Quickie:Vick, Santana, Quinn, Artest, HS Musical 2(?!)

OK, so why hasn't Michael Vick entered his negotiated guilty plea yet?

I ask because, reportedly, the Feds are set to create a "superseding" set of charges, including racketeering. That's the charge that serves as code to the NFL (and everyone else) of GAMBLING.

("Superseding" means that the new indictment takes over for the other one, and it means things get MUCH worse for Vick: Tougher plea bargain, longer jail time, the works.) It could happen as early as today.

Meanwhile, the judge wants to remind everyone that while Vick can negotiate a specific jail sentence, the judge isn't bound by that. He can (and should) use it as a guideline, but he has the discretion to do whatever he wants, in the event of a guilty plea (or verdict). Wouldn't that be crazy if Vick negotiated a 12-month sentence and the judge boosted it to, say, 48? It's not like it matters: By all accounts, Vick has seen his last game as an NFL player.

UPDATE: Jason from East Coast Bias actually talked with the local county prosecutor Poindexter, who rejected rumors that Vick's plea deal with the Feds will include dropping state charges. Poindexter, apparently, wants his own bite, too. (Kudos to Jason: Sports bloggers doing first-hand reporting... and investigative reporting, no less! A credit to all of us!)

MLB Stud: Johan Santana, who struck out 17 in a 2-hit, 8-inning masterpiece on Sunday. He might not win the AL Cy Young award this year, but it was a reminder who the best pitcher in baseball is.

(Milestone Watch: John Smoltz passed Phil Niekro as the Braves' all-time strikeout leader?)

CFB: AP Top 25 announced over the weekend, and unsurprisingly, USC is No. 1. Let's kick off our two weeks of college football preview coverage with this question: What did you think of the opening AP Top 25? Who is overrated and who is underrated? Which unranked team is most likely to surge into the top half of the polls by the end of the season? I'm so excited about the start of college football season.

NBA Scandal Watch: While it doesn't look like any other refs were involved in anything criminal, all signs point to more refs being involved in inappropriate behavior related to gambling. One official mentioned "football pools," which are benign enough in the abstract, but the league's prohibitions against refs getting involved in ANY type of gambling are there for a reason.

MLB Pennant Races: The Yankees are 4 GB the Red Sox in the AL East, but still .5 GB the Mariners for the Wild Card.

(I wonder if that rain-cancelled Cubs-Cards game will come back at the end of the season with huge playoff implications?)

Colts-Bears tonight: Please don't call it a Super Bowl rematch, except for the handful of plays where both teams' starters will be on the field facing each other. And, even then, it's a stretch...

NFL Weekend Review: Two words: Brady Quinn. Tough weekend for the Quinn-haters, because he came off the bench to win back Browns fans and amp up the pressure to get him in the lineup ASAP.

NFL Fantasy Watch: So what were the biggest revelations of the weekend, as they relate to fantasy drafts being held this week? Was it Quinn? I'd nominate the Travis Henry injury, which just affirms that you take ANY Broncos RB at your own risk. Looks like Brandon Jackson is going to be the Packers starting RB...hmm... Any others?

Have you signed up for any/all of the football-prediction leagues that I created? Check out the links on the right: Two for the NFL and two for college football. It's going to be a ton of fun. Sign up today!

NBA: Ron Artest to the Heat? That would continue the East's surge and effectively kill the mo that Boston has been enjoying. Start with this: Wade, Shaq and Artest is a better "Big Three" than Garnett, Pierce and Allen. (And, like the Bulls and Rodman in the late-90s, I think Wade and Shaq could keep Artest in check.)

Just because I'm always impressed by superlatives: "High School Musical 2" was the most-watched cable show ever. Wow. Take that, MNF. (Perhaps Jaworski and Kornheiser should sing their analysis?)

-- D.S.

Sunday 08/19 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Brady Quinn: All is forgiven, forgotten? After his stupid holdout, he's back in the good graces of Browns fans after getting into his first exhibition game and leading the team with two 4th quarter TD passes. It's exciting, to be sure, but Browns fans lose any future rights to mock other fans for being bandwagoneers. They earn the label "Flip-Flop of the Year."

More NFL Preseason: Matt Schaub: No, wait: He's good! (9/12 for 108)... Jay Cutler: No, wait: He might not be ready for prime time... Matt Leinart: No, wait: The breakout just might come this year after all... The Bengals Defense: Booed by the home crowd (Drew Brees and the Saints offense picked them apart).

Fantasy Football Injury Watch: Keep an eye on Travis Henry's knee...

Bonds: 760.

CFB AP Top 25: USC is No. 1, of course. Defending champ Florida -- No. 3 in the coaches' poll -- is No. 6, behind LSU, West Virginia, Texas and Michigan, in that order. (Man, that Florida-at-LSU game is already shaping up as a de facto national-championship semifinal.)

(Meanwhile, now that both major preseason polls are out, it reminds me of three ludicrous things: (1) That we put any cred in a poll before a game has been played. (2) That any sport has two recognized and competing standards -- that USA Today and ESPN will rank a team differently than an organization that follows the AP. (3) That the AP, which so high-mindedly yanked itself from the BCS formula because they insisted they didn't want to "make the news" continues to make the news by running and promoting a poll of its own.)

Beckham in NYC draws 66K in his first MLS start: At least MLS will realize that they need to import a European soccer star to the Red Bulls, like, NOW.

White Sox keep Jermaine Dye: 2Y/$22M. Given the rest of their roster, they were smart to make a move to try to win big (again) in a two-year window.

CFB: Notre Dame Watch. Even if ND *is* "rebuilding," as long as they hit that X-win BCS hurdle -- regardless of ranking or actual worthiness -- one of the BCS bowls will pick them, as they always have. (Now, whether ND can actually win 8 games is up for debate. Says here they will: With the usual BCS bowl blowout loss as a reward.)

43-year-old Vinny Testaverde -- the NFL's Julio Franco -- re-signed with the Pats.

-- D.S.

Saturday 08/18 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Vick Watch: Perhaps I was premature with "he'll cop a plea" talk from yesterday morning, but with two more co-defendants taking pleas (and implicating Vick even more), he'd be insane not to take a deal. Yes, it'll mean jail time (and probably a suspension from the NFL after jail), but it beats what looks like ugly alternatives if he chooses to scramble and take it head on.

It looks REALLY bad for Vick: Not only did the co-defendants affirm that Vick bank-rolled the operation (which we already knew), but they affirmed that Vick actually helped execute dogs, by hanging or drowning (also which we knew, but puts a grisly detail at the front of this).

If you're less concerned with Vick doing jail time and more interested if he'll have an NFL career when he eventually gets out of jail, all the details about gambling -- and his role in funding the gambling operation -- opens the door to a lifetime ban from the NFL.

MLB Stud: Brandon Webb, who ran his scoreless-innings streak to 42, the longest since Orel Hershiser's legendary streak in 1988. Webb is the 21st pitcher to reach 40-plus consecutive scoreless IP, making him part of a more exclusive club than the "500 HR" or "3,000 Hit" Clubs. Not bad.

NFL Preseason: Donovan McNabb looked really good. And, all of a sudden, questions about the Eagles (and about McNabb himself) are put aside for optimism, with good reason.

Meanwhile, I watched about 2 minutes of the locally broadcast Jets-Vikings game, and Adrian Peterson is going to be really good, if Minnesota makes him "1A" in their dual-RB mix with Chester Taylor. So good that I'd seriously consider taking him at the back end of the first round of a fantasy league, if I had that kind of pick. So good that, by next season, he'll be a Top 5 pick (a la Gore and Addai).

Vince Young: Sophomore slump? He was 5/17 for 102 yards and rushed 4 times for 9 yards -- and he was sacked four times -- in a Titans win over the Pats. I know it's only preseason; hopefully, he'll get himself together for the regular season. I still think he will.

Carlos Zambrano signs with the Cubs through 2012: As he's one of the Top 3 pitchers in the NL, this was a "must-do" for the Cubs -- of the spending spree over the last 10 months, this was by far the smartest payout (5Y/$91.5M). If the Cubs can get a new owner like, say, Mark Cuban, Z might anchor a World Series team.

Friday 08/17 A.M. Quickie:Vick Plea, MLB Pennant Races, CFB Mania, More!

Today's Names to Know: Michael Vick, Roger Goodell, A-Rod and Giambi, Cole Hamels, Emmanuel Moody, Ryan Seacrest and Dan Patrick. Let's get going...

Michael Vick's lawyers tell him to accept a plea deal, as early as this morning (there's reportedly a 9 a.m. deadline). (h/t NY Times)

The deal would include 12-18 months of jail time. Wow. I know that this has been coming, but now that it's here, it's pretty crazy: Michael Vick WILL be going to jail, and we're talking YEARS here.

What about the NFL's punishment? They're obviously most concerned with the gambling angle, but a Vick guilty plea would let Goodell off the hook:

He can keep Vick out of the league as long as he's in prison, and he can punt on the harder decision about whether to ban him further for either the crimes themselves or the non-legal "personal conduct" violations related to the gambling, which the league may or may not have evidence about.

That punishment can come later – when Goodell can read the public mood about Vick. Presumably, fans will be more forgiving (if not forgetting) about letting him back in the league after he's done two hard years in prison. But the Cellblock D intramural team just got a HELL of a lot better.

NFL Camping: Is the Vick scandal eclipsing the rest of the NFL? I'm a cynic/skeptic, but I'm with Roger Goodell when he insists that it isn't. And it says a hell of a lot about the power of the NFL that it can take a bodyblow like this one involving one of its signature players and still keep on clicking. (Goodell can thank fantasy football and that old standby, NFL gambling. I'm being totally serious.)

NFL this weekend: Drop your preferred storylines in the Comments.

NFL.com relaunches with a new design: Having used to work for NFL.com (about a half-dozen jobs and lifetimes ago), I'm intrigued. It's an improvement – a serious improvement.

I'm still not sold on the editorial content (it IS a league P.R. vehicle), but the video assets are unarguably fantastic... and that's the entire game right there for NFL.com. They should try to do two things really well: Video and Fantasy, which mostly means having an awesome Sunday scoreboard experience.

My biggest complaint about NFL.com video: Where is the ability to embed NFL videos on blogs? (Without that function, all that happens is that they have to upload their fun videos – like the Fantasy series, which is awesome – to YouTube. The league gets the promotion, sure, but they don't get the actual traffic to their site.)

Speaking of gambling: Looks like Rick Tocchet won't serve any jail time. What a reminder of NHL's mainstream irrelevancy that they can claim "Hey! We had a gambling scandal FIRST!" and not only has it been eclipsed by gambling scandals in the NBA and NFL, but its main gambling guy won't even see jail for it.

MLB Stud: Cole Hamels, the Phillies' young ace who earned his 14th win and has positioned himself as the NL's leading Cy candidate, particularly with the Phillies' surge into NL East contention.

More MLB Pennant Racing: The Cards are surging after sweeping the Brewers. In the AL, this weekend is pretty awesome: RedSox-Angels and Yankees-Tigers. That could be the four AL playoff teams. (If you're a Yankees fan, do you cheer for Sheffield? He's probably earned it.)

A-Rod in 2008: If A-Rod opts out of his contract, the Yankees are SAYING they won't try to re-sign him. That's quite the threat, given that A-Rod is the front-runner for AL MVP (and has reclaimed his title as the best player in baseball). Meanwhile, A-Rod can probably not only command more money, but find a more comfortable market to play in. (Though unless he signs with Boston – hardly a more comfortable market than New York – he won't be on a perennial contender as he is with the Yankees.)

Giambi won't be punished by MLB, a carrot for talking with the steroid commission: Bud Selig sends a signal here – cooperate and we'll go leniently on you. (But will EVERY player get the Giambi treatment, or does he catch a break because he got in line early?)

Julio Franco Watch: He's playing for the Braves' A-ball affiliate... and he turns 49 next week. (The Braves would rather keep him close to Atlanta than have him shuttling around the East in AAA.) Basically, the guy has to hang on one more year and make it back to the bigs: Who doesn't want to see him at 50 taking an MLB at-bat?

CFB: USC RB Emmanuel Moody is transferring from the program over playing time. This is kind of amusing because Moody was among the three USC RBs featured on the regionalized cover of SI's college football preview issue. (h/t Fanhouse)

Given my fandom for Darren McFadden (who, don't forget, earned my personal Heisman Trophy a year ago), I'm sort of comfortable with SI dubbing the season the "Year of the Running Back," but I wouldn't have showcased USC's RBs: The reason USC is a consensus No. 1 is because of defense first, then its offensive balance. Not its RBs.

This is hard to capture on a magazine cover, but I'd say the theme of the year is offensive innovation: LSU has a sick D, but the intrigue is new OC Gary Crowton's wild offense. Darren McFadden is spectacular, but the intrigue is how he has basically created an entire offensive scheme (if retro) around himself, including using him as a QB. Obviously, Urban Meyer turned conventional wisdom on its head by using two QBs with no classic running back. Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia has Steve Slaton, but it's QB Pat White who makes WVU's spread go.

(Back to Florida for a second: Isn't it a bit ludicrous that SI would dub this the "Year of the Running Back" when we're coming off a college season where the national champion didn't even HAVE a traditional running back? If anything, college coaches are adapting and adopting to that style, focusing on innovative scheming and getting the ball to their playmakers wherever they can.)

Ryan Seacrest to host Super Bowl pre-game and halftime: This isn't ludicrous. Both are entirely entertainment driven, and Seacrest is the face of Fox's entertainment wing. Does he command respect as a football guy? No: But since when are the Super Bowl pre-game or halftime shows about football? (Seacrest's biggest problem is helping Fox find an act that could compare to last season's Prince halftime, which was arguably the best and most credible halftime show in Super Bowl history.)

Happy trails to Dan Patrick, joining the elite group of folks (cough!) who formerly worked for ESPN. I wish him half as much success as I've had. (Kidding, of course... unlike Dan, I had no sweet syndicated radio show deal to jump over to... I did, however, have a sweet syndicated blog to jump over to... one-year anniversary in two weeks!) Anyway, DP, if you want any tips on blogging for your new site, give me a holler. Happy to help.

Bolt.com closes: Not sports-related, but I joined Bolt in 1999 as employee No. 30(-ish) to be their sports section producer (among other things) and rode the Silicon Alley dot-com bubble all the way to the point where we topped 200 employees a year later, pulled the planned IPO and began the slow descent. Before that happened, I bailed out for business school, but I've still got a pricey memento: A stock certificate. Sure, it cost me a couple hundred bucks of "real" money to claim at the time, but its sentimental value is priceless as an artifact of a long-gone era. (Wow, between the NFL.com and Bolt mentions, that's two of my many career stops and multiple lifetimes ago. In one blog post! At this rate, I'll have my full c.v. posted by the end of next week.)

Reminder: If you haven't signed up for any/all of the four exciting football-predictions leagues I have created, go to the upper-right corner and sign up. Group name for all of them: Daily Quickie Readers. Get in there!

-- D.S.

Thursday 08/16 A.M. Quickie:Donaghy, Offerman, Beckham, Pac-Man, Vick, More!

Tim Donaghy pleads guilty: He's looking at up to 25 years in prison. Gulp. Good luck reffing the games in Cell Block D, where "spreads" and the "over/under" have an entirely new meaning.

Is this scandal behind the NBA now? Hardly. The Donaghy part might be, but the aftershocks will linger, every time a fan screams at an official "What: Are you on the take or something?!?" Which will happen, oh, only 40-50 times PER GAME. (I wonder if NBA fans in the arena will create an unspoken, nationwide social compact NOT to do that, because everyone knows it would be so debilitating to the sport.)

Beckham Scores: Hmm...maybe there's something to his arrival. He scored his first MLS goal (and assisted on another) in a 2-0 Galaxy win over D.C. United. No one was paying attention, but still: Isn't this what MLS paid him all that money to do -- get MLS attention they otherwise wouldn't get?

Vick Watch: His lawyers want him to spend less than a year in jail in exchange for a guilty plea. Prosecutors have him so nailed that they can afford to hold out, but do they want to just get their guy now and be done with it? (The NFL's punishment, on the other hand, is another matter.)

NFL Camping: Holdout CB Darrelle Revis finally signed with the Jets. That guy better be worth it.

MLB Pennant Races: Indians back in first in AL Central, thanks to Studly Fausto Carmona. I haven't been talking much about the day-to-day drama of the various division (and Wild Card) races, but this is the best year anyone I have talked to can remember, in terms of having all of the divisions be up for grabs this late in the season. Let's hope it continues this time next month.

MLB Stud: David Price, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 MLB Draft, who signed a 6Y/$11M deal with the Devil Rays to be the cornerstone of their franchise, which he instantly becomes. Can they/will they get him up to the big-league level before September 1?

(Meanwhile, the Nats gave LHP Jack McGeary, a 6th-round pick with first-round talent who everyone assumed would go to college, a $1.8 million bonus to sign with them, obliterating the slotting system that had him valued around $150K. Bold move for a team that had a tremendous draft haul, that has a terrific batch of young pitching arms in the minor-league pipeline and that has overachieved in the second half of 2007, given the pre-season expectations they would contend for Worst Record Ever. Fun time to be on the Nats bandwagon.)

MLB Dud: Prince Fielder, who was suspended 3 games by MLB (he's appealing).

Jose Offerman: Suspended indefinitely! (Hardly a surprise. Note how you don't hear much from the wing(nuts) of baseball purists who talk about "unwritten rules" that shrugs off the usual violence on the field as "part of the game." (Because that's one of the stupidest notions in sports, ultimately leading to moments like we saw Tuesday night.)

Meanwhile, we live in the Era of YouTube and no one has produced a video clip of the attack yet? What the hell? Get on that, people!

Pac-Man Fever: Well NOW he wants to be a rap star. Truly, he is a talent who knows no boundaries. Get ready for it: Pac-Man's debut "Let It Shine" will be released on August 27. (Obviously, we're all waiting for "Make It Rain 2."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have to give up his iconic No. 8: Numbers matter in NASCAR more than any other sport, if only because of the merchandising and because announcers tend to refer to drivers by their car number. Much like Kobe switching to No. 24 though, this is an opportunity for Junior and his new team to make new dollars off all his fans buying new merchandise with his new number.

Fantasy Football: KSK Keeper Draft Results, if you were curious. (Picking 3rd) L. Johnson (RB); B. Jacobs (RB); A. Johnson (WR); S. Moss (WR); J. Cutler (QB); B. Jackson (RB); B. Watson (TE); J. Horn (WR); Broncos D; S. McNair (QB); A. Vinatieri (K); A. Gonzalez (WR); P. Holmes (RB). (At that point, I had to leave the draft with two picks to go, and the group hazed me by drafting Kenny Irons and the "Houston Oilers" Defense on my behalf.) All in all: Meh.

Big Daddy Drew filed a report over at KSK. What he failed to explain is that I had an episode of "Fantasy Draft Rage." In alternative come-back rounds, Brian from Awful Announcing -- who was picking directly in front of me -- selected (no: STOLE!) not one (Calvin Johnson), not two (Alge Crumpler) but THREE players! (Byron Leftwich was the third).

For Johnson, I was disappointed, but - hey - them's the breaks. When he swiped Crumpler, I lost it, shouting a string of obsenities and threats into the 14-person conference call, all directed AA's way. The rest of the group found this highly amusing. I feel like my draft was ruined. (It didn't help that I didn't have much of a backup plan on any of the picks, with the resulting effect being me blinded by my rage/disappiontment and making a terrible pick.)

Notably, I had never experienced that before. I blame the KSK-fueled environment.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/15 A.M. Quickie:Vick, Rizzuto, Cox, Offerman, Keepers, More!

Michael Vick: It's just a matter of time. He's going to cop a plea and go to jail -- or the Feds are going to slap new charges on him and he'll go to jail (for even longer).

The smart money says he takes a plea, does a year or two and hopes everyone forgets about him so he can return to the NFL after a couple years in the pokey. Hell, a few years in jail might even humanize the guy with fans and the league.

Now, if there are ties to gambling (which everyone assumes there are... you don't get into dog-fighting for the humanity alone), Vick will be done. A lifetime ban isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Speaking of copping a plea, Tim Donaghy reportedly will, too. (Perhaps with the pleas behind them, the Vick and Donaghy stories will finally, mercifully, fade from the foreground of fandom.)

RIP, Phil Rizzuto: Condolences to family, friends and fans. Scooter even enjoyed a moment as a pop-culture icon, via Seinfeld, when George lost his Phil Rizzuto keychain in the asphalt, then had to jackhammer it out.

(That episode is close to a classic, with Elaine moving into the janitor's closet in a neighboring building, just to get the exceptional flounder delivered from a local Chinese restaurant. One of the greatest subtle moments in Seinfeld history is when George, carrying a jackhammer and dressed as a construction worker, and Elaine, dressed as a janitor and carrying supplies, pass each other on the street, nod and continue along their way. Holy cow!)

MLB Stud: Bobby Cox sets the MLB record for ejections by a manager. Not quite sure why we would celebrate a milestone of such appallingly poor sportsmanship, but apparently, this is the Summer of MLB Milestones. Not sure if "Ejection 132" has the cachet of "Home Run 756" or "Home Run 500" or "Home Run 600" or "Hit 3000" or "Pitching Win 300."

Baseball Dud: Jose Offerman, who was arrested after charging the mound and smacking the pitcher and catcher with his bat. This was, of course, in an independent league game, which is why it's a "Baseball Dud" and not an official "MLB Dud." But pretty messed up all the same. (OK, where is the YouTube video?!)

NFL Concussion Watch: Who, exactly, is going to call the "Head-Shot Hotline?" (That's not the real name, but the NFL's concussion phone hotline needs a nickname.) Somehow, I imagine someone will call reporting an injury to the player "Amanda Huginkiss."

CFB: I'm not much of a fan of USA Today sports columnist Jon Saraceno, but how can I begrudge him today after he filed such a slurpishly good dual-portrait of the best college football coach and best college basketball coach in America? (Come on: You know exactly who I'm talking about.)

Tiger is going to create and design his own course in the U.S.

Lawsuits: I hope that Rutgers player wins her lawsuit against Don Imus.

Must-Read: Larry Brown Sports has a great interview with Brian from Awful Announcing. Here's the link.

Blog Anniversaries: Happy 6-month anniversary to the Ladies... (God, six months already? The Ladies... are best-known for two things: Being the most popular women sports bloggers online and creating the legendary Hot Bloggers Tournament. And I'm not just saying that because I was a No. 1 regional seed.)

Wow: The DS.com One-Year Anniversary is coming up in two weeks. Yikes!

Fantasy Football: I'm in over my head in the Kissing Suzy Kolber-sponsored Keeper League. I have the third overall pick in tonight's draft. Any specific suggestions as it relates to keeper-league draft strategy? For example, would I take Reggie Bush at No. 3 because I think he'll get even better as years go by? Or do I grab a guy like Stephen Jackson and just play to win now? All thoughts and advice appreciated, via the Comments.

Meanwhile, DS.com reader John is running a study about Fantasy Sports. Click here to fill out a survey he's conducting and help him out.

Meanwhile, have you joined up in any/all of the four football-prediction leagues I have set up? Use the links at the top-right, group name: Daily Quickie Readers. Come on: Join in!

-- D.S.

Tuesday 08/14 A.M. Quickie:Madden 08, Vick, Jaworski, Bonds, Sonics, More!

First things first: Go right over to those links to the right and join up in my four football prediction competitions – two NFL and two CFB. The group name for all of them is the usual: Daily Quickie Readers. Hope you join in. Winner of each gets to write a guest-post on DS.com. (Or, alternatively, maybe a prize that is perhaps a little more enjoyable.)

Next: Click this link to read my Jaguars season preview on Deadspin. As many of you know, I picked up the Jags as my favorite NFL team before last season began. I'm back for Year 2. Consider yourself appropriately appalled.

Madden 08 released today: As I pointed out in the Daily Quickie (I believe in last year's edition on the day Madden 07 was released), the release of Madden has become one of the biggest days of the sports year. It's arguably bigger than any single NFL weekend except the Super Bowl. And it arguably tops any single day's event in any other sport, with the exception of the first two days of March Madness (which, coincidentally, are two days of all-consuming attention, not unlike the first two days you have Madden out of the box).

Vick Watch: Now the other two guys are cutting deals, too. Vick is SO screwed. Doesn't even matter HOW he's screwed. He just is.

Should Vick himself take a plea deal? He probably should, simply to get this behind him (and understanding that he's in a ton of trouble, whether he feels like he did anything wrong or not). Here's the priority: Avoid any association with gambling (which could get him banned from the NFL for life), avoid jail time, take the NFL's punishment (even if it's a year) and, for cripes sake, rehab his image.

How could Vick rehab his image? Once the legalistics are behind him, he can admit how wrong he was, display contrition and become the poster guy for animal care – in particular, being a spokesperson against dog-fighting and other cruelty issues. Give money. Give time. Give celebrity. Create and star in a documentary about it. Write a book about it. Despite the current loathing towards him, I suspect that fans WANT to forgive him – he simply needs to (sincerely) give fans something to hang their forgiveness on.

Related: In an interesting NYT/CBS poll, 36 percent of fans who know about the case think that Vick is receiving preferential treatment. Wow: If what he's getting is preferential treatment, I don't want to see what "throwing the book at him" looks like. Did the local prosecutor bumble the case? Yes. Have the Feds been deliberate? Yes, but that's called "building a case." Has the NFL been lenient? Considering they suspended him indefinitely on nothing more than the indictment alone, not particularly.

MNF Preseason Debut: Last August, on the day of Tony Kornheiser's debut, I suggested he was the best thing to happen to Monday Night Football since Howard Cosell. Unfortunately for all of us, I was a wee bit off. (Cripes: When you make as many boldly superlative pronouncements as I do, you can't be right ALL the time.)

I acknowledge that glaring error in the hopes that you'll forgive me a second straight year of hyperbole, because I was off by one year: Ron Jaworski is the best thing to happen to Monday Night Football since Howard Cosell. "Is it Monday yet?" was brilliant, but here's my 2007 MNF slogan suggestion: "We've put the 'football' back in Monday Night Football."

Broncos 17, 49ers 13: Who's with me that Jay Cutler feels like a late-round steal in your fantasy draft? (Alex Smith will be a late-round bargain, too.)

Bonds Watch: Is 2008 his last year? Needless to say, I don't expect there to be a "Retirement Tour" around the league... although there should be. And any team that wants to juice attendance (home AND road) should sign him. Much like his Home Run Chase, most fans can say they want no part of Bonds, but if you've never seen him in person, you'd be crazy not to attend at least one of his games next season, if only just to tell your kids you did.

Meanwhile, Bonds was greeted with cheers last night in Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that Bonds and Pirates fans have a history together, it illustrates exactly what I've been talking about recently about fans forgiving (if not forgetting) long enough to briefly show appreciation for watching one of the handful of greatest players in MLB history.

MLB Stud: Welcome back, Richie Sexson.

Cal Ripken's new job: He's "special sports envoy" for the State Department. I hope administration spin czar Karen Hughes doesn't simply use Ripken for attempted political gain. But, overall, I really like the idea.

NFL Coaching: Here's to Lane Kiffin's quick and complete recovery from whatever viral infection has got him down right now. Gotta show solidarity for an NFL coach who is younger than me.

Pat Riley to coach another three years: I'll take the under.

Sonics relocation to Oklahoma City: It's all but done, based on some of the talk from the ownership group. Not that anyone shouldn't have seen this coming from the first day that Bennett bought the team.

I feel badly for fans in Seattle. There's a competing feeling: I feel good for the fans in Oklahoma City, who proved they absolutely are fantastic NBA fans when they hosted the displaced Hornets.

So the logical question: How soon can the NBA get a replacement team in Seattle, and which team do they relocate to do it? Could they possibly move the Hornets. It's not like they could make the announcement at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game... in New Orleans. Any other options?

I'm late on this, but... Mark Cuban approves of tanking: It's nice to see him affirm a position I've held for years. Tanking isn't just OK, but in many cases is optimal.

-- D.S.

Shanoff's Jaguars Preview on Deadspin

I'm back for Year 2 of Jags fandom!
Here's the season-preview post on Deadspin.

Monday 08/13 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, Ankiel, Jenks, Vick, Pac-Man, More!

UPDATE: It's that time again! See the "Picks" links to the right to sign up for my annual NFL and CFB predictions games. Same group name as always: DAILY QUICKIE READERS. Tell your friends and join in now!

Just as I was the first to declare that one week in July the "Worst Week in Sports History," let me be the first to declare that happy days are here again. The brutal sports news of last month is long-forgotten:

Old (bad) news: Tim Donaghy, Michael Vick and Barry Bonds. New (good) news: Rick Ankiel, Bobby Jenks and Tiger Woods. (And did I mention that your fantasy football draft is just around the corner?) Yes, there's still Vick and Pac-Man news to talk about today, but there's finally a lot of provocatively good to counter-balance the provocatively bad.

Tiger wins PGA Championship (13th Major title for Woods): So much for this being the year of the No-Name Major Winners. Tiger affirms that it's not a year in golf without a Tiger Major.

(Nicklaus leads Woods in career Majors by 5. What's the over-under on when Tiger breaks that? I'll start the bidding at 2009 for those of you ultra-bullish on Tiger, but won't go any later than 2010.

MLB Stud: Bobby Jenks, who set down his 41st consecutive batter, tying the MLB record. This is a damn impressive streak (and history in the making), friends. I'd qualify this as well worth a live cut-in.

Ankiel Watch: MLB's most endearing story of the season continued this weekend, with Ankiel clubbing his 2nd and 3rd HR of the season on Saturday (that's since Thursday, mind you).

One more MLB Stud: Magglio Ordonez, who became the second Tiger to ever hit two HR in the same inning.

MLB Dud: Eric Gagne. Has done more harm than good since coming over to the Red Sox. It's only August 13 and the Yankees are only 4 games behind in the AL East. Forget the Wild Card: With so many games to play, New York could actually overtake Boston for the division title.

Vick Watch: (Can't be avoided) Yahoo is reporting that it's looking like Vick will be suspended for the entire season. Presumably, Roger Goodell will simply use the league's "Personal Conduct Policy" plus Vick's claim to the league that he wasn't involved in dog-fighting to boot him out for the year. (The NFL denies the report.)

Pac-Man Jones Watch: (Again, can't be avoided). He showed up on his TNA show, but used a little rasslin-style theater to sidestep actually joining the acting troupe. After an off-screen "incident," he was "injured," thus allowing himself to "participate" in TNA without actually "participating."

NFL Weekend Stud: Kellen Clemens. After his 16/22 for 174 yards and 3 TDs, how soon before Jets fans are calling for Clemens to replace Chad Pennington sooner rather than later?

NFL Weekend Dud: OK, so about Matt Schaub... The new Texans QB went 3/5 for 5 yards in his Houston debut. Eek. (Meanwhile, the Titans benched Vince Young in one of those "well, it's only preseason" moments.)

Rebuttal from reader Evan:

You're killing me man. Don't go for the easy dud. Schaub's numbers don't
tell 1/4 of the story. He only missed on 1 throw to a wide-open Kevin
Walters down the sidelines. The other incompletion was actually his best
throw. With a blitz coming from either side he stepped up in the pocket
(something Carr NEVER did) and delivered a perfect pass to walters - who
dropped it. He is the polar opposite of a dud.

Alexander-Tomlinson didn't really happen last night, nor would any reasonable fan have expected it to. LT didn't even play, and Alexander barely did. And we fantasy football owners wouldn't want it any other way.

NFL Monday: Ravens-Eagles and Broncos-49ers. Mostly, I just want to see how Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser mesh. Of course they'll be better than TK and Theismann. But can Jaws help Tony raise (or even FIND) his game?

CFB Preseason: Bad news for Pitt and Dave Wannstedt. Derek Kinder, Pitt's fantastic WR, is out for the season after a knee injury.

Is Darren McFadden entering the NFL Draft after the 2007 season? Well, considering that he's the best player in college football this season and the most gifted running back to enter the NFL since LaDainian Tomlinson, I'd say that he probably should. (Put it this way: Had he been allowed to enter the NFL Draft after his sophomore year, he would have been the first RB taken and arguably the No. 1 overall pick.)

Fantasy Football: With Thomas Jones' injury, picking up Leon Washington late suddenly doesn't seem like such a stretch anymore, does it?

Video: Have you seen this Mike Nugent video? Awesome. (h/t Fanhouse)

Madden 08 release! Coming tomorrow.

-- D.S.

Saturday A.M. 08/11 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Tiger shoots a 63, tying the lowest score ever in a round of a major. It's not the same as WINNING a major, but it's another bullet-point moment of his career.

Bonds: 758.

Titans try to block Pac-Man from wrestling. As they should. (TNA says he'll be at the event.)

No Vick, no problem: Bobby Petrino's Falcons' offense just might be OK with Joey Harrington...

More NFL Preseason: The Vikings offense might not be OK... Randy Moss didn't play... The Saints offense was OK, but hardly prolific... Lots more games today.

Seriously: Is Romeo Crennel REALLY going to decide the starter for the preseason opener by a coin flip? If you're a Browns fan, that has to be totally depressing. Unless he truly wants to undermine the confidence of his QBs, what kind of self-respecting coach would say/do that? I guess the Brady Quinn Era can't start fast enough for Crennel.

NFL Injury Watch: Turns out Kenny Irons, Bengals rookie RB, will be out for the season. Here's to a full recovery and a return in 2008.

Ankiel Watch: No home runs. Ah well. Can't be a Cinderella every time.

MLB Stud: Joba Chamberlain. Forget Eric Gagne: The home-grown Chamberlain is the single-best pitching pickup that any playoff contender added to their roster this summer.

MLB Stud: Bobby Jenks recorded his 38th straight retired batter, tying the AL record and making it the 4th-longest streak of all time.

Lance's Discovery Team folds: One more sign that cycling is all but finished.

Friday 08/10 A.M. Quickie:Ankiel, Daly, Beckham, C. Johnson, More!

Today's Names to Know: Ankiel! Daly! Beckham! Calvin Johnson! Matt Murphy! Penny! Pac-Man! Cozad! Mamet! Galactus! And More!

MLB Stud: Rick Ankiel, who would have earned this spot for nothing else than his call-up. The 3-run HR he hit yesterday was just icing – today, he could be the most unconditionally liked player in baseball (the anti-Bonds, if you will).

The Hall of Fame should collect his bat from last night, if only to have an exhibition on "Perseverence." If that homer was the climax of his comeback, what can he possibly do for an encore? (Wear that Ankiel jersey proudly today, Mr. Leitch.)

PGA Championship: John Daly Mania! This might not last longer than this morning, but isn't Daly's performance the most interesting thing to happen to golf all year?

Beckham Watch: He finally played, and I actually kept the game on the screen to see it. What I should have done was turn down the volume on the insipid Beckham licking coming from the TV commentators. He had my attention, but didn't do much once he had it.

Lions 27, Bengals 26: Calvin Johnson is going to be VERY good. How soon before we can refer to him simply as "Calvin" and everyone will know who we're talking about?

(Here's hoping Bengals rookie RB Kenny Irons' knee injury isn't serious.)

Cowboys 23, Colts 10: Tony Romo went 10/11 for 93 yards, in a preview of new offensive coordinator (and presumptive head-coach-in-waiting) Jason Garrett's playbook.

Bonds Watch: His batting helmets for 755 and 756 are going to Cooperstown. I like that the Hall of Fame doesn't trouble itself with Selig-style waffling or pandering.

Meanwhile, I truly hope that Matt Murphy doesn't sell the Bonds ball. What a display of sincerity around a subject otherwise marked by deception and bad feelings.

Penny Hardaway signs with the Heat: I guess we should all be thankful he didn't do the obvious thing and join the bandwagon of former stars lining up to play in Boston.

(Is Allan Houston going to have a comeback, too? Hey: Just because he has the exact same game as Reggie Miller and Ray Allen shouldn't stop him from joining the Celtics, too.)

Pac-Man Fever: Anyone catch Pac-Man Jones on the TNA show last night? Somehow, I don't think he can claim "misunderstood."

MLB Dud: The Tigers, who lost a second straight home game to the Devil Rays. Detroit has lost 6 of 8 and seems to be fumbling its way out of the playoff chase.

Backup punter guilty of assault: Mitch Cozad convicted in what was without question the weirdest sports crime of the last year.

NFL This Weekend:
Falcons-Jets: Life without Vick
Pats-Bucs: Watch those NE WRs
Bills-Saints: Eyes on Bush
Rams-Vikings: Minnesota RBs
Jags-Dolphins: How many Leftwich snaps?
Packers-Steelers: Has Favre retired yet?
Chiefs-Browns: Will we see Brady Quinn?
Bears-Texans: Eye on Matt Schaub
Redskins-Titans: Vince Young Mania
Panthers-Giants: Meh.
Cards-Raiders: Russell the new Leinart?
Seahawks-Chargers: Alexander vs. LT (in theory)

CFB: NCAA upholds ban on coaches text-messaging recruits. Way to keep it Web 1.0, NCAA.

Oregon vs. Boise St in China: If Oregon wants Boise St to play them in China, why are the Ducks asking the Broncos to give up the home game? Why doesn't Oregon volunteer to give up THEIR home game?

Mamet to do UFC movie: I can... What, goddammit?... I can think of... Fucking cripes: Think of what?... Hey, wait... Oh, fuck off. Just spit it out... I'm not sure I want to anymore... Oh, what the fuck: Are you some kind of pansy?... Now see here... Christamighty: I'll say it. I can't think of a better fucking person to do a movie about UFC than David Mamet.

Must-Read: If you haven't read EDSBS' parody of "Who's Now: Tom Brady vs. Galactus," you are missing out on the funniest blog post of the month.

Question of the Day: Did Derek Jeter really give Jessica Alba herpes? If Derek Jeter has herpes, that would be even more epic than Michael Vick having herpes.

-- D.S.

Thursday 08/09 A.M. Quickie:Bonds 757, Reggie Miller, NFL Camping, More!

Bonds 757: Well, that was fast. As quickly as "756" mania could hit sports fans, it's gone. Just another milestone en route to whatever Bonds' final total is. But every time Bonds jacks another -- and, at this pace, there will be many "anothers" -- the target moves. "756" had its 15 minutes of fame; much like the country's overall Bonds loathing, everything is moving on...

Meanwhile, 756-catcher Matt Murphy seems to have launched his media tour.

Reggie Miller on the Celtics? This is a genius idea by the team – and one that Miller, if he feels up to it, should accept (even though his specialty – jump-shooting – is exactly the same as Ray Allen's). "Let's get the old gang back together" is a wonderful motto: Every player ever thwarted for a ring should clamor out of retirement and join the Celtics. It's the "Dream Deferred Team."

PGA Championship: Umm, OK, I'll take Tiger.

NFL Camping: Did Saints LB Scott Fujita injure himself at a water park after a team excursion? What the hell is the team doing at a place as injury-magnetized as a water park?

Meanwhile, Big Ben had his foot stepped on and limped off the field. Mike Tomlin doesn't seem worried. Bet Ben slides in fantasy drafts held today, though.

MLB Stud: Commenters' choice!

MLB Dud: Dontrelle Willis, who hasn't won a game since May 29, going 0-9 with 4 NDs since then.

Who's Now: I'm late on this, but just to get some closure, please remember that when Who's Now launched, I predicted that Tiger Woods would win in a runaway -- why bother asking the question? Page 2's old obsession with brackets (for which I was a happy obsessive) foreshadowed how Who's Now would play out.

Mascots: The Steelers' new "Steely McBeam" could be the worst mascot name in history. It's as if the Steelers PR team didn't know that the default way to make fun of people is to call them "Something-y McSomething-Unflattering" (like Steely McEmbarrassment).

Prediction: "Steely McBeam" is either phased out (quickly) or abandoned (entirely) by the start of the regular season (if not by the end of next week).

Fantasy Markets: ProTrade is launching their NFL team stock-market valuations today. This might become my default way to evaluate where teams stand.

Varsity Dad: Have you seen the YouTube video of the baby crying whenever she hears the Michigan fight song? Classic. (h/t Fanhouse)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/08 A.M. Quickie: BONDS 756!

Bonds 756: There. Historic, yes, but sort of anti-climactic now, isn't it? The drama (or, alternatively, annoyance) was in the build-up.

There will be the teeth-gnashing this morning, but now that the record is broken, I anticipate the anti-Bonds sentiment to thaw. It is the resignation that comes with inevitability.

This morning on the "Today" show, I watched Bob Costas piss on the moment. Less than 12 hours after the moment, Costas came across as shrill -- hardly the conscience of baseball, but instead its dour cousin, Mr. Scold.

I respect your position if you find yourself today crippled by self-righteous indignation, but I'm enjoying the history. Last night, Bonds was the antithesis of smug: He seemed entirely aware of (and respectful of) the history he has made.

His tribute to Hank Aaron – and, of course, his tearful tribute to his late father – not to mention his tribute to the fans (even fans in opposing stadiums) seemed gracious and entirely bitterness-free. Bonds could afford to be magnanimous in triumph; the point was that he was.

Back to my original point: 756 is here (and 757 will probably show up sooner rather than later). There is no asterisk. The collective will of Bonds' detractors didn't keep him from reaching the mark.

I'm normally not such a wide-eyed sentimentalist, but if you spend today bitching and moaning about the record being broken, you'll miss the larger (and longer-lasting) feeling of knowing you were witness to sports' arguably most hallowed record being broken.

Mets fan Matt Murphy catches the ball: I love the fact that Murphy was wearing a Mets jersey. He probably loves the fact that he'll make a couple hundred thousand dollars for his effort. (Bonds says he doesn't want the ball, but some collector will pay for it.)

Oh wow: Have you seen the video from the outfield stands? It is insane. (h/t: Deadspin)

Hank Aaron's Message: Aaron obviously realized that his version of the high road -- a video message to Bonds, though not being there in-person -- was the ultimate way to recognize Bonds while still maintaining his own lofty elevation. (Even if he was asleep when the record-breaking home run was hit.) Aaron will get a ton of cred for the move.

(Compare that to Bud Selig, who wasn't at the game in person and could barely register a press release to indicate that he had called Barry Bonds. Selig, admittedly in a tough spot, really bumbled this whole thing. The best news for him is that it's now behind him.)

What Next? Bonds says he'll be back in '08. Again: I think that 756, while historic, will fade into the background as Bonds pushes forward. Personally, I would like to see him hit the 800 mark. Between the rest of this season and a healthy 2008, he could do it.

(The larger question: Now that he has the record and the Giants have harvested as much value as they're going to get from him, do they try to keep him around? They should: Aside from Bonds, that team has little to market itself around.)

Mike Bacsik: I think the whole "HR-surrendering pitcher goes down in history" thing is a little overblown, but for the record, this was the guy. I love the whole backstory about how Bacsik's father pitched to Hank Aaron.

Blogger Reaction (in-progress):

Deadspin Blogdome

Awful Announcing

Armchair GM

AOL Fanhouse 1
AOL Fanhouse 2

Dale Murphy rips Bonds: Seems like the wrong time to say Bonds sets a "terrible example" for our kids. You can question Bonds' methods, but how about the way he honored Hank Aaron or his father or the fans? To be honest, Bonds looked and sounded downright gracious.

Everything else:

Brady Quinn signs with the Browns: The second part of that headline is "Still a douchebag," but at least he can now begin to earn back the fans' loyalty by performing on the field.

Rovell was right: Let's just look back to draft day, when Darren Rovell predicted that Quinn's slide from No. 3 to No. 22 would result in a loss of roughly $17 million. Rovell was right on the money.

MLB Stud: Umm... Barry Bonds.

(Sorry! Sorry! Yes: And Jake Peavy.)

MLB Dud: Anaheim Angels food vendors. Yikes: 100 citations for vermin violations? Bring your own.

Jays-Yankees plunking war: I guess Toronto's season is so over that the only pleasure they can find is in beaning A-Rod and enjoying the subsequent retaliation from Roger Clemens. Then: Back to obscurity.

Pennant Races: I was just in Denver and I managed to get out to the Rockies-Brewers game on Monday night. For a team in playoff contention, Colorado sure doesn't get many fans out to the ballpark. (But I did get to see, in-person, a home run by Ryan Braun.)

CFB: Wanna bet that "indefinitely suspended" Tennessee RB LaMarcus Coker is reinstated by September 15? That's when the Vols play at Florida.

Meanwhile, reportedly Oregon is looking into playing a regular season game in China, against Boise State. Think the Ducks' Nike connection has anything to do with that decision?

World Soccer: DaMarcus Beasley was met with racist chants in Montenegro during a Champions League match. Unfortunately, this is not an unexpected development, given European fans' history.

Sports Media: NBC is being very smart to hyper-expand their online video offerings of Olympics coverage. I'm quite sure it's a move they would have scoffed at as recently as four years ago (let alone 8 or 12 years ago), but it's a new world.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 08/07 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, Schilling, NFL Camping, Weis QBs, More!

Bonds Watch: Oh-fer. I caught last night's 3rd at-bat live. The best thing about it is that little graphic at the top of the screen that explains when Bonds is due up next. Because, obviously, the thing everyone wants to know when they tune into the game is: When is Bonds up next? (Excuse me if that had been on the screen in previous broadcasts. I hadn't been watching.)

Schilling makes his return: Allows 4 runs in 6 IP in a Red Sox loss to the Angels. Schilling is like Michael Jordan at the end of his career, the pitching equivalent of a jump-shooter who needs to rely on guile, rather than former athleticism.

Four words: Michael Vick Chew Toy.

Spurrier vs. USC: Who else's mind was boggled that South Carolina even HAD a standard above the NCAA minimum when it came to accepting recruits? Look: This is a problem that has plagued Northwestern for years, but that's Northwestern.

I just assumed that every other school used that old "1-percent rule" to let in any athletes who qualified with the minimum standard. Now: Is that right? To be honest, it's not an easy question. But it's no argument that schools are in a rough spot when they tout their academic cred, but then behind the scenes have to bend that cred for coaches.

Unfortunately, it says more about the low confidence the school has in the sports programs to take care of the athletes academically (and by "take care of" I don't mean ease through courses, but offer the institutional backing for them to get the most they can out of the college academic experience).

I support bending usual admission requirements for athletes -- IF the school and program have a commitment to the athlete's academic support beyond "coaching them up" (writing papers for them, steering them to "friendly" profs, etc.) to a minimum for eligiblility, then forgetting about them.

Soriano to DL: So exactly how bad is a “torn quad,” because it sounds pretty bad for Chicago.

NFL Camping: At this point, it’s almost entirely about watching out for injuries. Like, say, the one to Colts DT Booger McFarland, whose knee injury might keep him out for a while.

Pac-Man Jones meets TNA Wrestling: Only an athlete as prolifically stupid as Pac-Man could jeopardize his ENTIRE pro football future by getting into wrestling.

Jermaine O’Neal DOESN’T demand a trade to the Lakers, after all: Or, at least, that’s what he and his agent are trying to say. Don’t deny it: Embrace it!

NFL Hold-Outs: So the hot new game is “Who will sign first?” between JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn. I suspect it will be Quinn, but both are being foolish.

NFL Coolness: The 49ers will honor Bill Walsh by wearing throwback red 80s uniforms in their season opener. Why not change back full-time? Not in tribute to Walsh, but because those unis are better than the current version?

MLB Scandal: Why would umpires not want increased background checks on them by MLB... if they have nothing to hide? (See how you can impugn an entire group’s credibility by adding the phrase “if they have nothing to hide?”)

College Football: Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis won’t name the starter at QB until the day of the game. He says he doesn’t want to give anything away to Georgia Tech, but I think it’s because he can’t decide (meaning: no QB has emerged yet as starter-worthy... isn’t that not the best sign?)

More CFB: EDSBS has been rolling out its preseason rankings. Here’s the last batch: 13-25.

NFL Fantasy Watch: Is Packers rookie RB Brandon Jackson going to be the steal of the late rounds? If he gets starters’ touches, he will.

MLB Call-Ups: Is Joba Chamberlain the Yankees’ pitching version of Shelley Duncan?

NCAA Problems: Ball State is being investigated for possible basketball infractions – and, in a twist, it’s possible the women’s volleyball coach was fired for being a whistle-blower.

NASCAR Team-Switching: Kyle Busch is jumping over to Team Gibbs.

Track Scandal: Oh SURE Justin Gatlin thought the shot was “B-12.” That’s like saying, “But I thought the hooker was a woman!”

Vick Watch: So the SCLC decided they will not “honor” Michael Vick. Smart move. Probably took them a week too long to figure it out, but they got there.

Yao gets married: Congrats to Yao, who married Ye Li, who happens to be 6-foot-2. I believe that the Chinese National Basketball Team has already claimed their kids.

Random Media: Just heard that the NY Times is going to end their subscription-only "Select" pay-wall that they hide columnists behind. Wonder if "Insider" will go the same way? (By the way, I actually love the thinner paper version of the NYT. Much easier to handle. Yes, I keep my paper subscription, even though I mostly consume it online. Old habits...)

-- D.S.

Monday 08/06 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, Glavine, Steelers, Shaun White, More!

Bonds 755: He took the day off on Sunday, so we can all "enjoy" the moment (if "enjoy" means "get some hot weekday media-outrage action!")

So what DID you think of Bud Selig's reaction to 755: Hands in pockets. He had a hell of a fine line to walk: Did he do it, or make a much of it? Consider that most of those fans in San Diego probably didn't like Bonds much either, but most seemed to cheer anyway.

756 Watch: Bonds goes for the record at home against the Nats tonight. Quite sure that fans in San Francisco will be cheering. (Though Selig won't be there. Isn't it more important for the Commissioner of MLB to be at the record-SETTING game, even more than the record-TYING game?)

Glavine 300: Tom Glavine joins a club with only 22 other members – and one that will likely become even more exclusive as the years go by and even the best MLB pitchers can't come close to 300.

MLB Dud: Clay Hensley, who the day after giving up No. 755 to Barry Bonds was demoted to the minor leagues. Enjoy the infamy.

NFL Hall of Fame Game: Let the month begin of games where you can count the number of plays the starters get on one hand – and then try to divine the implications for your upcoming fantasy draft.

Steelers beat Saints, 20-7: Big Ben was 2/3 for 73 yards, including a 55-yard play to Cedrick Wilson (think Wilson will see a fantasy "most added" up-tick?) Reggie Bush had 2 carries for 8 yards.

(Meanwhile, Michael Irvin must have a pretty good ghostwriter, to pull that contrite-sounding HOF speech out of his rear end. I'm sorry: No single speech will impact his lasting legacy of personal lampoonery. Part of the reason his speech was so notable was because basically everything else that had previously come out of his mouth for the past 10 years was complete and utter idiocy.)

Chiefs sign rookie WR Dwayne Bowe, less notable for his impact on the Chiefs offense (though it might be big) and more for the fact that he's the pick right after Brady Quinn, yet Bowe managed to sign after a lengthy holdout. Quinn manages to look like even MORE of a d-bag.

X Games: Shaun White wins Skateboard Vert event. Between this and snowboarding, is White the action sports equivalent of Bo Jackson? I'd argue that between his jaw-dropping moves and marketability, he is.

MLB Wild Card: The Yankees were 9.5 games behind the Wild Card lead one month ago. Now, they are a half-game behind. I'm no Yankees fan, but this is very good for baseball.

NBA Crime Beat: Rafer Alston was arrested for assault and public intoxication this weekend.

Tomlinson's new Nike ad: Oh my god, I'm so so SO glad he's on my Yahoo Bloggers' League fantasy team, which has a new Behrens draft recap! (video h/t: MDS at FanHouse)

-- D.S.

Sunday 08/05 A.M. Quickie: Bonds 755!

Barry Bonds hits No. 755, tying Hank Aaron's all-time record for career home runs.

(For those in the anti-Bonds contingent who wanted to see the accomplishment minimized to whatever extent possible, you couldn't have asked for more than the Saturday night timing. There is no moment less prominent on the sports radar than an early-August Saturday night.)

But 755 was always sizing up as merely a rest-stop en route to 756, which could come as early as today. Despite the low-profile timing of 755, rest assured Bonds will be the dominant story of the rest of the weekend -- and most, if not all, of next week... up until he hits 756. Then we can all go back to other things.

Two other notable details:

Clay Hensley gave up the shot: Oh, the irony!

Bud Selig was there, but didn't clap. (Is that like smoking without inhaling?)

(Oh, and A-Rod hit 500, becoming the fastest player to 500 HR. On the same night Bonds hits the top of the list, we are reminded that he could be eclipsed within 6-7 seasons.)

-- D.S.