USC Senior in Critical, But Stable Condition

After watching Tim Tebow nearly get his head knocked off in Saturday night's showdown with Kentucky, I thought I had cringed enough for the weekend. That didn't end up being the case after hearing about Southern Cal senior running back Stafon Johnson's weight lifting accident on Monday.

Johnson is extremely lucky to be alive after dropping 275 pounds on his neck after attempting to bench it. The weight reportedly slipped off of his hands.

It's now been less than a day since the accident occurred, and Johnson is already showing positve signs that he will recover.I've heard that Johnson is one of the toughest guys on the team and this proves it.

Immediately after the accident Johnson went into surgery for more than seven hours to repair his injuries to his throat.

This is still all up in the air, but some experts aren't even ruling out Johnson returning to the field eventually.

For any of you who don't know about Stafon Johnson, he was the player who put the icing on the cake in the big win over Ohio State by getting to the outside for the rushing touchdown. He actually had two touchdowns in that game and 50 yards rushing.

Hope he has a speedy and full recovery.

The Lions Finally Have Something to Be Happy About

It was December 2007 when the Detroit Lions last won a regular season football game. In all it was a 19-game losing streak that finally came to an end on Sunday against the Redskins.

What Lions owner William Clay Ford said after the game summed it all up. "We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back."

This tops all the other great stories that came with Week 3. It tops Brett Favre throwing the game-winning touchdown, it tops Terrell Owens rant after not getting a reception in the Bills' loss, and it even tops Mark Sanchez becoming the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to start his team off 3-0.

The game was actually blacked out in the local market so I'm sure there were some great fans who missed seeing their team finally end their embarrassing skid that was tied for second longest in NFL history.

I don't think there's ever been a happier team to start off 1-2 than the Detroit Lions are right now. It's also a great win for former Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. I know there are a lot of Titans fans who are missing Schwartz, but that's a whole other issue.

After seeing the Lions get this win I can't help but become a Lions fan now. That doesn't mean I'm going to fill my closet full of Lions merchandise, but I'm definitely rooting for this group of guys that has fought so hard and faced so much humiliation over the past few seasons.

Great win, Detroit.

Another Top Five Team Goes Down

There have already been four teams ranked in the top five go down in this young season, which brings up the question again of how much the rankings actually mean?

The four teams to lose so far are Southern Cal, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss. Only one of those four losses came to a ranked team with Oklahoma losing to then No. 20 BYU.

That number could increase this week as everyone is calling the Iowa-Penn State matchup as possible upset. Both teams are undefeated so far, but I think Penn State will take care of business and not take this game lightly like many other teams have already done. The Hawkeyes also had a lot of trouble getting past Northern Iowa in week one.

Teams like Southern Cal and Oklahoma have to hope that Texas and Florida eventually lose. If that doesn't happen then Texas and Florida will be the second year in a row we'll see the Big 12 take on the SEC in the national championship game.

You also can't forget about those Miami Hurricans who are now up to No.9 in the poles and have a great opportunity to move up even farther if they can beat No. 11 Virginia Tech. That game is on the road but I think the Miami defense will shut down the Hokies and quarterback Jacory Harris will do the rest.

Top 5 Games this weekend

Iowa @ No. 5 Penn State
Arkansas @ No. 3 Alabama
UTEP @ No. 2 Texas
Kentucky @ No. 1 Florida

Passionate Fans Won't See Their Teams on Sunday

On Sunday thousands of dedicated Raiders and Lions fans won't be able to watch their teams play football. The NFL has will blackout the games in the local markets.

For some of these fans football is all they really have. The NFL may be a business, but this is just wrong.

I understand that teams want their fans to buy the tickets, but with the economy the way it is right now, there should be some sympathy for these hard working fans.

Even though both the Raiders and the Lions are very bad teams, I guarantee you there are some great fans out there who won't get to see their team play this weekend. To add onto that, I also guarantee that most of those fans would buy tickets if their financial situation would allow it.

The NFL should show some sympathy to the thousands of fans who have most likely bought NFL merchandise in the past and attended games in the past. You owe at least that much to the fans.

War of Words Between Kiffin and Meyer

First off I have to give the Vols a lot of credit for hanging with the Gators on Saturday. They left the Swamp with at least a little bit of dignity by only losing by ten and running the football down the throat of the national champs. The point spread was 30 and some were even bold enough to call for a 40-point spread!

What use to be one of the better rivalries in college football would have gotten little publicity this season if not for Lane Kiffin popping off at the mouth shortly after being hired as Tennessee's new coach in December.

Kiffin ignited the fire initially by stating,"Singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year. It's gonna be a blast so get ready". And then my favorite statement that directly accused Urban Meyer of cheating in his recruiting practices. With that the rivalry was instantly renewed.

Even though the game has passed and Florida got the win, Meyer still can't seem to shut his mouth or act even somewhat classy.

First off he hardly even acknowledged Kiffin at midfield after the game. Now I can let that slide, but accusing a group of guys of not playing to win is an insult to the Tennessee players that gave everything they had during that game. And to add onto that, Meyer also blamed the flu bug for why his team didn't perform at its best. So I guess Meyer is one of those guys that makes excuses for when he doesn't perform up to expectations.

Kiffin shot back by saying, "the next time we don't perform like we wanted we'll blame it on us being sick". I'm starting to like this guy more and more.

It's going to take some time, but Kiffin has this program going in the right direction. He's in the middle of cleaning up the mess Philip Fulmer left behind, but he'll eventually get stuff straightened out on Rocky Top. Just give him a chance.

Dolphins Dominate Control of the Football But Still Lose

One of the key ingredients to winning a game in the NFL is controlling the time of possession. If you hold the ball 30 minutes longer than your opponents like the Dolphins did Monday night then you're probably going to win. That is unless Peyton Manning is on the other team.

On Monday night football Peyton Manning showed the world once again why he is maybe one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Now of course there could be a heated debate over who really is the best quarterback in NFL history, but you definitely can't leave Manning out of the top ten all-time.

It only took one play for Manning to get the Colts on the scoreboard by hitting Dallas Clark down the middle of the field for an 80-yard touchdown strike. Manning would only need 15 minutes on the field to get his team 27 points and, more importantly, the win.

It's not really fair to say the running game didn't show up because they only had 10 opportunities collectively between Joseph Addai and Donald Brown.

This is obviously a tough loss for the Dolphins who now start 0-2 for the second straight year. They dominated this game in every way. Take Peyton Manning out of that game and the Dolphins win convincingly. But of course wishful thinking won't get you wins in the NFL, or any sport for that matter.

I guess the only thing left for opposing defenses to do when planning for Peyton Manning is hoping he doesn't step foot on that football field because Monday night proved that time of possession doesn't mean a thing against Peyton Manning and the Colts.

The Numbers-Colts vs. Dolphins

First Downs: Indy 14, Miami 27
Time of Possession: Indy 14:53, Miami 45:07
Total Plays: Indy 35, Miami 84
Rush Yards: Indy 61, Miami 239

It's Time to Give the Sun Belt Some Respect

The Sun Belt has always been considered the worst conference in the FBS. The Sun Belt schools are usually sacrificial lambs for the powerhouses at the beginning of the season. There's still been plenty of blowouts in the first three weeks of the season, but the Sun Belt also has some very impressive outings to their credit.

The latest big victory for the Sun Belt came this past Saturday when MTSU went up to College Park, Maryland to defeat the Terrapins 32-31 on last second field goal.

It's the second year in a row that MTSU has defeated the Terrapins. This one may be a little more memorable because this is arguably the biggest road win in the history of MTSU's program.

Another program that has represented the Sun Belt in a positive way is Louisiana-Lafayette. The Ragin' Cajuns have never really been known for their football but that could be changing fast. In week 2 the Ragin' Cajuns had a huge upset over Big 12 opponent Kansas State.

If you follow the Sun Belt at all then you already know how good the Troy Trojans are. They're definitely the team to beat this year and they also got a big win this past week by taking out UAB 27-14.

These results plus the success that Florida Atlantic had last bowl season shows that the Sun Belt can no longer be taken lightly by other conferences. You could have a good argument that the Sun Belt has surpassed the MAC or Conference USA. There's still plenty more opportunities this season for Sun Belt teams to prove they're a better conference than people give them credit for.

Notable Sun Belt Wins

North Texas over Ball State, 20-10
Troy over UAB, 27-14
Louisiana-Lafayette over Kansas State, 17-15
MTSU over Memphis, 31-14
MTSU over Maryland, 32-31

Upcoming Notable Games

Louisiana-Lafayette @ No. 25 Nebraska
MTSU vs. Mississippi State
Arkansas State @ Iowa
Louisiana-Monroe @ Kentucky
Troy @ Arkansas
Florida Atlantic vs. Wyoming
Florida Atlantic @ UAB

MSU Game a Crucial One for Vandy

The week 2 loss to LSU down in the bayou brought back painful memories of the old Vandebilt I use to know. The one that would put itself in position to win only to hand the game back to the heavily favored opponent.

That's what happened last week as the Commodores were only trailing by seven late in the game.

Quarterback Larry Smith had the Commodores driving against the No. 11 ranked team in the country. A nice pass on a crossing route to Alex Washington would've put the Commodores in good position to tie the game, but instead the ball grazed off Washington's hands and into an LSU defender's. That would ultimately seal the Commodores' sixth straight loss to the Tigers.

This loss also didn't come without a heavy price to pay in the injuries department. The biggest injury was to senior free safety Ryan Hamilton, who is also one of the defensive captains. Hamilton could be out the rest of the season but nothing is certain.

The Commodores have to be ready for a wounded Mississippi State team that is coming to town. The Bulldogs just got done getting their tails whipped at the hands of Auburn and they're going to be ready to play. No matter how ready they are the Commodores should win this game if they come in prepared and limit the dumb mistakes.

Since it's still early in the season I hate to say that a loss to Mississippi State could end the Commodores' hopes for another bowl bid, but I've seen the Commodores get off to slow starts before and it never ends well. To open the season 1-2 with the only win being against a FCS school would be a nightmare for a team that needs all the confidence in the world.

Even the great teams take tough losses from time to time. What separates the great teams from the average team is the great teams know how to bounce back from tough losses and get a big win.

If Vanderbilt can step up in a big way and defeat the Bulldogs this Saturday, that will prove to me that Vanderbilt has taken the next step towards being another solid team in the SEC.

Vince Shows How Much He's Really Matured

This story coming out of the Tennessean may be the most uplifting story I've seen in the sports world in a long time. With all of the garbage you see the in the sports section these days, it's good to know there's still a lot of humility in some of our professional athletes.

Titans quarterback Vince Young showed an unquestionable act of kindness on Wednesday by surprising the late Steve McNair's two younger sons at school. Young was particularly hit hard by McNair's unexpected death in July. As many of you already probably know, McNair was a mentor and even a father figure to Vince through his teenage years.

I can't say enough about how classy this was of Vince. To find time during the season to surprise two youngsters who just lost their dad is extremely uplifting. I'm glad to claim Vince as a Tennessee Titan and I hope it stays that way regardless of his troubles on the field.

For all the critics, say what you want about Young's troubles with his accuracy and pocket presence. When it comes down to it this goes way beyond the game of football.

As passionate football fans we sometimes forget that. We like to cheer the guys who win games for us and come down hard on the guys that lead us to failure. Vince Young may never win another game for the Titans ever again. To me, that's not as important as it is to hear stories like this. I hope to see Vince continue to be an example for all other NFL players who can do similar acts of kindness within the community.

Canes Look to Take Another Step Back Towards the Top

No team has a better opportunity to seal their fate and make the National Championship game than one particular team. No it's not Southern Cal. In fact, it's not even Florida. That team is the Miami Hurricanes who defeated their arch-rivals in dramatic fashion in their first game.

Just by glancing over the Hurricanes' schedule you will see that everything is laid out for Miami to make their triumphant return back to the top of the college football pyramid. Their next three games are against ranked teams and that includes the juggernauts of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. Can you imagine what their BCS ranking would be if the Canes find a way to go undefeated through this stretch?

By no means am I saying they'll get through this stretch without losing a game, but even if they win three of the four they'll be in good shape.

As the years have gone by it has become more and more rare for a team to go undefeated. Just look at Florida last year. On the flip side it no longer destroys you if you have just one loss. No other team in the country has as stacked of a schedule as the Canes do. Not even an SEC or Big 12 team has as tough of a schedule.

The next test for the Canes pits them against No. 14 Georgia Tech. They'll have the home-field advantage and you know that place will be rocking for the home opener.

There hasn't been this good of a team down in Coral Gables since Ken Dorsey and Willis McGahee were running the show. I know it' s only been one game but what I saw out them against Florida State shows me they have a solid nucleus of talent down there and they're only going to get better as the season progresses.

Don't sleep on the Canes this season because everything is laid out for them to return to college football prominence.

Miami's Remaining Games Against Ranked Teams

Sept 17: No. 14 Georgia Tech
Sept 26: @ No. 13 Virginia Tech
Oct 3: No. 12 Oklahoma
Nov 24: @ No. 24 N. Carolina

Giants Making One Last Push For the Postseason

Another win for the Giants against the wild-card leading Rockies came Tuesday night.

They now lead the season series ten games to seven with one game remaining against the Rockies this season. The bad part is they could still end up missing the postseason.

There's no question that the Giants unmatched pitching staff can be thanked for this surprising push towards the playoffs. No one saw the Giants doing anything this season many had them finishing among the worst in the NL. For crying out loud even Barry Zito is finally pitching like the ace that he once was!

If the Giants find a way to shock the baseball world and reach the playoffs they'll be the first team to ever have as bad of an on-base percentage that the Giants have and still make the playoffs. Right now their team on-base percentage is right around 30 percent.

The Giants have had a tough schedule as of late and still has managed to keep pace with the Rockies despite the Rockies having a fairly easy schedule as of late. Everyone is all over how great the Rockies. They may be a solid team but they have made this way harder on themselves then it had to be. They practically had this thing locked up just a week ago.

Now they're in danger of only being up a game and a half on the Giants if they lose tomorrow. It doesn't make it any easier that Matt Cain steps on the mound tomorrow.

The Giants have a fairly easy schedule left after their three-game set with the Dodgers this weekend. On the other hand the Rockies schedule gets a little tougher as they have three-game sets with the Cardinals and the Dodgers still remaining.

If the Giants take care of business and beat the teams they're suppose to beat then they still have a great chance at making the playoffs for the first time since 2003. I've said it time and time again, the Giants are extremely dangerous with their pitching staff if they make the postseason. They're built to win five-game series. I'm not saying they'll win it all, but they'll definitely raise some eyebrows.

Frankly this is the only story I'm interested in when it comes to baseball now that football has started so hopefully it will stay close till the end.

Giants Remaining Schedule: 3 @ Dodgers, 3 @ D'backs, 4 vs. Cubs, 3 vs. D'backs,
3 @ Padres

Rockies Remaining Schedule: 3 @ D'backs, 3 vs. Padres, 3 vs. Cardinals, 3 vs. Brewers,
3 @ Dodgers

Memo To UT Fans: Week One Was Only a Tease

Everyone got a chance to see the real Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday as they lost to sup-par UCLA 19-15.

I may have a huge dislike when it comes to the Volunteers, but I'm being as objective as possible when I say it will be a long time before UT football is successful again. Well at least by UT standards.

All I was hearing after Tennessee's week one win over lowly Western Kentucky was "UT football is back". I guess they weren't back for long.

Tennessee started off strong against UCLA yesterday by taking a 10-3 lead into the second quarter. Numerous turnovers, including three interceptions from Jonathan Crompton, would ultimately seal Tennessee's fate in their second loss to the Bruins in as many years.

Not only did the Tennessee passing game throw three interceptions, but they also only managed 93 passing yards against a defense that's not known for being among the nation's best. The rushing game played well at times but was nothing special.

If Tennessee and their fans want to get respect from me, and ultimately the rest of the nation, they have to win games like this. Tennessee has rarely been the favorite going into a game over the past few seasons, but they were the favorite in this game and they disappointed again.

The Volunteers definitely don't have to worry about being a disappointment next week as they travel to the Swamp for what has become their annual beat-down by Florida.

With all of this said Lane Kiffin is a good fit for this program. He's a great coach even though he got a bad reputation as the Raiders head coach. If anyone is going to fix this program it'll be Lane Kiffin and Monte Kiffin. It's still going to be work in progress.

I hope the fans on Rocky Top are as patient as they are arrogant because it looks like it's going to be another long season for the Volunteers.

Blackout Time in the Boro

The second annual blackout game will be Saturday night for the Blue Raider football program and I have to say I'm pumped.

Last season the Blue Raiders won their first ever blackout game by defeating Sun Belt foe Florida Atlantic on a last second hail mary touchdown. Expect the attendance to be among the highest Floyd Stadium has ever seen.

Last season's blackout game was the third largest in the history of Floyd Stadium with 25,766. I expect that total to be surpassed thanks to an in-state school is coming to town, and I'm sure Memphis will have plenty of support from their fans.

All of the blackout shirts are currently sold out and I have to say I'm not one of the students who got one. I'll still be there with a black Blue Raider shirt cheering on my Blue Raiders who look to defeat a Conference USA opponent for only the second time in school history. That may sound like a bad stat but this only the third time the Blue Raider's have played a team from Conference USA.

The season opener wasn't a good one for the Blue Raiders. Dwight Dasher had a few good passes here and there, including a 18-yard touchdown pass to Chris McClover in the 3rd quarter. However, he had three interceptions and that obviously has to get better.

The Blue Raiders are getting a Memphis team that hung with No. 6 Ole Miss til midway through the 4th quarter last week. We can definitely win this game but MT has to limit their mistakes.

It should be one of the most electric games in the history of Floyd Stadium and Blue Raider football for that matter. If you're a student at MTSU you have no excuse to miss this one so be there and support your university!

Titans Lose the Opener, But Not Without Some Heart

No football fan likes watching their team lose the first game of the season. Nothing is worse than being all pumped up about the season getting underway just to watch your favorite team lose. Titans fans, let me just tell you it will be OK.

The NFL got its season underway Thursday night with the Titans and the Steelers doing battle. This is easily the NFL's newest rivalry.

Many probably think this rivalry started last season when Lendale White, Keith Bullock, and a couple other Titans stomped all over the sacred Steelers terrible towel. As obvious as it would seem, that's not where the rivalry started.

The rivalry really started during the 2002-2003 playoffs when the Steelers were called for a roughing the kicker penalty which gave kicker Joe Nedney one more chance to nail the winning field goal in overtime. I can't imagine how bitter Steeler fans were after than game and I'm sure that stuck with them up until now.

After watching tonight's game I realized that the Titans and the Steelers are probably the two best teams in the AFC, thanks in large part to their defenses. They mirror each other in so many ways that it's scary. In fact, the first half showed both teams trying to go vertical when that obviously didn't work for neither one of them. Then they both started pounding the ball down the middle and relying on the short underneath routes. In the end the Steelers obviously won that battle.

I have to admit that at first I was very upset to watch the Titans lose. However, after a few minutes of the loss sinking in I realized the Titans lost to a good team. No, not a good team, a great team. Not even a great team. How about the Super Bowl Champs?

Both teams showed a ton of heart and made it all more apparent to why I love football so much and why I have been so impatient watching baseball all summer.

Iverson's Next Destination is Memphis

It's now official. The sports world has been taken over by Twitter.

We've reached a time in history where we get just as much, if not more, sports news via Twitter than we do from the actual sport reporters themselves.

The most recent news comes from Allen Iverson's twitter which states he's going to the Memphis Grizzlies. This deal has been speculated all summer but now it seems to be confirmed.

This is actually a great fit for Iverson. He wants to be the main guy on the court and he'll be able to do that in Memphis.

You may think that this is a horrible fit for Iverson considering Memphis has been historically one of the worst teams in the NBA, but not so fast.

The Grizzlies are one of the up and coming teams in the NBA. They're loaded with young talent and those younger players are only going to get better. The only thing that could hold the Grizzlies back could be the management side of the team.

However, the Grizzlies could be hurt by this deal if Iverson starts to be the dramatic player that he has been at times in the past. I don't see that happening.

There is already a solid nucleus within this team with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay running things. Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol's younger brother, showed that he can be a solid center for the team last season.

Iverson has a great opportunity to end his career on a solid note. He doesn't have to win a championship to solidify his legacy. All he has to do is show he can be a leader of a team that is very young. If he does that, he will that he's one of the best point guards in NBA history.

Sooners' National Title Hopes Take Hard Hit

An opening season loss for a team ranked at number three isn't necessarily the end of the world.

Oklahoma lost to a good BYU team that was ranked No. 20, and a big reason for that was being without their Heisman winning quarterback Sam Bradford.

However, I don't want to take anything away from BYU. They outplayed, out hustled, and overpowered the bigger athletes of Oklahoma for much of the game. Their defense stepped up and held one of the best offenses from a year ago to only 13 points.

Even when Bradford went out in the second quarter they only had seven points on the board. That's not like the Oklahoma offense that I've come to know the past few years.

Early evaluations are estimating that it will be at least a month before Bradford even throws a football. Lucky for the Sooners the next part of their schedule is the easiest part of the schedule. Their next significant game comes on October 3rd at Miami. We'll get a good idea of how bad Oklahoma will need Bradford for that game when we see Miami take on No. 18 Florida State tonight.

It definitely doesn't look pretty for the Sooners after this loss, but it's nowhere close to being over for them if they want a national championship. As tough as it will be with or without Bradford, if the Sooners win out they'll be in the National Championship game. By winning out they would have to beat Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Nebraska. Those are just the currently ranked teams. You also can't obviously forget about Miami or Texas Tech which are both on the road.

One thing is for sure. If Bradford doesn't return before the Texas game on Octboer 17th, and he's not 100 percent, it will be over for the Sooners.

Oklahoma's Next 5 Games

Sept. 12 Idaho St.
Sept. 19 Tulsa
Oct. 3 @ Miami (Fla)
Oct. 10 Baylor
Oct. 17 Texas ( at Dallas)

Oregon Player Suspended for the Season

Apparently the new procedure of making the teams shake hands before the game didn't work so well for the Oregon-Boise State game on Thursday night.

In case you haven't had a television for the past two days, the matchup between these two teams got extremely ugly just moments after it ended.

As the players were walking off the field, Boise State defensive end Byron Hout appeared to taunt Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount. From this point on Blount just completely lost his sanity and started the chain of bad decisions by sucker-punching Hout as he turned away.

I don't care how caught up you are in the moment, you can't let yourself make such a dumb decision.

What made Blount look even worse was how he reacted while being removed from the field. He was seen yelling at fans and even resisting one of his coaches who was trying to hold him back.

Losing your cool for a split second is one thing, but losing your cool for a good two or three minutes is inexcusable.

The entire blame does not rest completely on Blount's shoulders though. Hout showed no class by running up to Blount and taunting him. You have carry yourself better than that and I'm sure his coaches will handle it accordingly.

Blount is now suspended for the rest of his senior year. There was a lot of buzz about this guy going into this season after he rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 17 touchdowns on the ground in 2008. It's sad to think that one stupid decision could have ruined his opportunity to take his football career any further.

The Ducks are going to be hit hard by this too. They have to figure out a way to replace a very explosive player on their roster. Their next option at running back is probably freshman LaMichael James who rushed for 22 yards on only two attempts against Boise State.

Addition of Lee, Martinez Have Phillies As NL Favorite

Everyone can forget about the Dodgers being favorites in the National League like they have been for much of the season.

The only thing that was keeping the Phillies from possibly repeating as World Series champions was their weak starting rotation. Well, you can go ahead and toss that out the window.

The additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez have completely transformed the Phillies from wild card hopefuls, to easily the NL favorites.

Before the Phillies revamped their pitching rotation, they were still one of the best hitting teams in all of baseball. Not only has their offense gotten even better over the past month, but now even Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ are pitching lights out.

I never thought I would say this, but the Phillies rotation may be better than the loaded Giants rotation.

Speaking of the Giants, they witnessed first-hand tonight just how dangerous the Phillies are by being dominated by Pedro Martinez. Martinez is now 3-0 with a 3.52 ERA. Not bad for being out of the game for almost a year.

Cliff Lee, which won his first five starts before finally losing on August 29, gets the start tommorow against the Astros.

With the exception of the Cardinals, there is no team in the NL that will even come close to defeating the Phillies in the playoffs.

For all the Dodgers fans out there, you may be wondering why I have suddenly jumped ship on them. Well it's no mystery that they have cooled off dramatically since the All-Star break. They'll be lucky if the Rockies or the Giants don't catch them in the standings.

The Phillies are now the most balanced team in all of baseball and that is what wins championships in all sports, not just baseball. So brace yourself Phillies fans becasue it should be another great postseason.

Phillies NL Ranks

Home Runs 85 (1st)
Runs Scored 666 (2nd)
Doubles 255 (T-2nd)
Slug PCT .449 (1st)
ERA 4.12 (6th)

A Look at the Opening Weekend of College Football

Football finally returns tomorrow night after a long, grueling summer of depending on sports such as baseball, golf, and dare I say tennis?

There is really only one noteworthy game on the slate Thursday night to get the season kicked off and that's No. 16 Oregon traveling to the blue turf and to take on No. 14 Boise State.

At face value this game might not have a lot of appeal for the average fan. Trust me there is plenty of value in this game, particularly for Boise State.

Boise State has a popular reputation of being the BCS busters every year but always seem to fall up short with the exclusion of their Fiesta Bowl appearance a couple of years ago.

If Boise State can figure out a way to get through Oregon, which is arguably the second best team in the Pac-10 outside of USC, then they will have an easy road to going undefeated.

I expect a great game in this one with plenty of offense. It's the first game of the season and the defense will be a little sloppy and both of these offenses have serious playmakers.

In the end I like Oregon to take the victory, but it won't be sealed until late in the 4th quarter.

This weekend is loaded with great games to get pumped for the return of college football and most will be seen on the ESPN family of networks.

One of the most intriguing games of the day will be pit the two best conferences in college football against each other as Georgia takes on Oklahoma State. Basically, good defense against good offense.

Something is going to have to give in this game and I like Oklahoma State to take the win. Georgia lost too much offense over the offseason and Oklahoma State is just stacked with offensive firepower, starting with quarterback Zac Robinson and wide receiver Dez Bryant.

The key game to watch for during primetime is No. 5 Alabama traveling to Blacksburg to take on No. 7 Virginia Tech. This game will be close early, but Alabama's defense will prove too much and the Hokies will go down with little to show for on the scoreboard.

Of course there are plenty more games than I mentioned above this weekend that will show why college football is one of the greatest, most exciting American traditions.

Other Key Games This Week

Thurs: Utah State @ No. 19 Utah
Sat: Navy @ No. 6 Ohio State, Nevada @ No. 23 Notre Dame, No. 20 BYU @ No. 3 Oklahoma, Maryland @ No. 12 California, No. 11 LSU @ Washington
Sun: No. 8 Ole Miss @ Memphis
Mon: Miami(Fla) @ No. 18 Florida State

Patriots Fans Can Breathe a Sigh of Relief

The scene of Tom Brady lying on the ground grimacing in pain had to be a scary one for Patriots fans, and fantasy owners alike. I was the second of the two and for me it was bone chilling.

The worst part about it was that Bill Belichick kept his thoughts to himself on the injury, which is nothing new.

The man responsible for the monstrous hit, which was totally legal, was none other than Albert Haynesworth. This guy has now injured three quarterbacks this preseason, with the other two being backup quarterbacks.

That might be a sign to Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio to possibly leave starting quarterback David Garrard of the field and out of big Albert's way when they play their final preseason game against the Redskins.

All that turmoil can mostly be put to rest now that Tom Brady was back on the practice field Tuesday. Brady was seen at practice showing no signs of a shoulder injury.

Before Brady was pulled from the game he was putting up great numbers that included two touchdown passes. Those two brought his preseason total to four.

If Brady had gone down it would have been a disaster for more ways than one. For starters, the backup quarterback situation in Foxboro isn't exactly pretty.

Without Brady the Patriots have to choose between Andrew Walter, the former Oakland Raider who got some playing time the last couple of seasons, or rookie Brian Hoyer out of Michigan State.

Walter has some experience in the league but he hasn't even had a month to learn the Patriots system. And of course we know how starting rookie quarterbacks usually works out. Lucky for the Patriots they won't have to come to that decision. Well, at least not yet.

Preseason Stats for Tom Brady

@ Philly: 10/15, 100 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
vs. Cincy: 4/8, 57 yards
@ Wash: 12/19, 150 yards, 2 TD