Coach Caldwell Giving Resurgence To Vandy Football

It was tough and shocking to see Bobby Johnson retire in mid-July. It left a football program that already has so much ground to make up on the rest of the SEC to make up even more ground.

In came Robbie Caldwell, who was the offensive line coach. Many people compare his charm and personality to Bobby Bowden.

The Vandy players have instantly fallen in love with Caldwell as their coach, and the media likes him as well.

Something as simple as his personality may seem like it doesn't mean anything, but it actually means a lot to recruiting. Those results are already starting to show as Vanderbilt has recently received verbal commitments from a few promising prospects at the quarterback position and fittingly at offensive line.

It's always been tough for Vanderbilt coaches to recruit in SEC country with their strict academic standards and their history of being the doormat of the SEC. A guy with Caldwell's southern charm can go a long way for a program that struggles to keep pace in recruiting in the SEC.

Just to give you a taste of Caldwell's track record in recruiting, he recruited both Torry Holt and Earl Bennett, among other talented players.

As much as Bobby Johnson will be missed by Vandy players and fans alike, Caldwell's hire could be a blessing in disguise.

UFC 118: Boxing vs. MMA

It's been a debate ever since the sport of MMA has become relevant in mainstream society. Is the better fighting sport boxing or mixed martial arts?

We'll finally get to see at least a partial answer tonight at UFC 118 in Boston.

It will be a battle of two men who definitely aren't the prime of their careers, with James"Lights Out" Toney crossing over to MMA for the first time to take on seasoned UFC veteran Randy Couture.

Toney has not been shy of talking smack leading up to this fight, but I'm not so sure he realizes what he's got himself into.

Sure, if he connects with one of his signature punches then it could instantly be lights out for Couture, no pun intended.

I can't see Couture being that clumsy. He's going to be smart and try to put the inexperienced Toney on the mat and keep it as far away from a boxing match as possible.

In other words, make Toney beat you from where he's least comfortable. I find it hard to believe that Toney will be anywhere close to effective on the mat or in any area of MMA other than boxing.

Couture is a better wrestler than Toney, better at muay thai, and better at jiu jitzu.

For me personally it's going to be very satisfying if Toney is put on the mat and tapped out, and I can easily see that happening.

This match is somewhat unpredictable thanks to both men being in their 40's, with Couture at age 47 and Toney at age 42.

If Toney manages to win then it will be a tough blow to MMA as a sport, but it won't be a death sentence. People are still going to continue to choose watching MMA events over the more traditional boxing match.

What it's all going to come down to is the amount of experience, or lack thereof, that each fighter possesses. Couture has trained in MMA for somewhere around 13 years whereas Toney took up the sport over the last few months.

Couture wins by submission.

Tale of the Tape

James Toney (USA)

• 72-6-3 (boxing career) 0-0-0 (MMA career)
  
• Age 42
• 5'10''
• 237 lbs.
• 72'' reach

Randy Couture (USA)

• 18-10 (MMA career)
• Age 47
• 6'1''
• 220 lbs.
• 75'' reach
  

NFL Eyeing An 18-Game Season

An 18-game NFL season has been in the works for a while now and it finally looks like it's going to happen in 2012.

This is obviously great for the fan. Two more games of regular season football and the possibility of more rivalry games being scheduled with the two extra games to work with.

There is a downside to this and Carson Palmer said it best by saying that each games loses a little bit of significance by adding two more regular season games.

If the NFL moves to an 18-game schedule then they should cut the preseason down to two games. It's already too long as it is in my mind.

Obviously the players aren't all on board with this and they're going to want more money if this thing pushes through. This could possibly lead to a strike if the NFL is unwilling to meet the players halfway with this new proposition.

A lot needs to be worked out with this idea of an 18-game schedule, but it's definitely fascinating to think about two more football games to watch every season.

Ranking the NFL Quarterbacks in 2010: Numbers 10-1

Now we're down to the nitty gritty. These guys are elite quarterbacks that instantly make their respective teams Super Bowl contenders.

10. Mark Sanchez (Jets)

Sanchez has struggled a little bit so far this preseason, but I'm confident he'll get the kinks worked out by the start of the regular season. He almost has to if the Jets want to make a legitimate push for the Super Bowl.

If Sanchez can fix his accuracy then he'll be just fine. This could very well end up being his breakout year that puts him among the NFL's best. I'm going out on a limb and saying he's ready to make that jump after last season's solid rookie performance.

9. Matt Ryan (Falcons)

Even with 22 touchdown passes and only 14 interceptions, last season was considered a little bit of a drop-off for Matt Ryan. With all of that aside he's still one of the smarter quarterbacks in the NFL.

You can't forget that he's only be in the NFL for a couple years so it's likely that he's only going to improve from here on out. A turf toe injury and the injury to Michael Turner also contributed to Ryan's disappointing season. He'll have the Falcons competing for a wild card spot thanks greatly to his play at quarterback.

8. Tony Romo (Cowboys)

If Tony Romo wasn't such an erratic quarterback then he would easily be top five on this list, but in all reality he isn't. He seems to always sprinkle in those two or three plays per game that has you scratching your head. Sometimes those bonehead plays can lead your team to a devestating loss.

More often than not this guy does produce solid and sometimes great numbers that makes the Cowboys seem unstoppable. He now has a new weapon in rookie Dez Bryant. Romo is kind of like a young Brett Favre that constantly goes for it all, and most of the time he succeeds.

7. Brett Favre (Vikings)

Speaking of Brett Favre, he cracks this list at No.7 now that we have found out he's returning yet again despite telling us he was hanging them up.

Favre's age is the only thing holding him back and most of the time he pushes through that and puts up the numbers of a 24-year-old superstar. He instantly makes the Vikings the favorite in the NFC. He'll go down as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, and for being at the ripe age of 40 it's not bad being rated the seventh best quarterback on this list.

6. Joe Flacco (Ravens)

Joe Flacco took that leap forward as an elite NFL quarterback in 2009 when he almost took the Ravens to the AFC championship game. He threw for 21 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions in 2009, and that was without the services of Anquan Boldin, along with Derrick Mason and Dante Stallworth.

His numbers are going to increase this season and he'll be among the leaders in all major categories barring any kind of serious injuries.

5. Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

I can't stand the attitued of Phillip Rivers, but I can't deny his skills on the field. He just finds ways to convert first downs and make the Chargers a threat against any team in the league.

He had a breakout year stats-wise in 2009 with 28 touchdowns and a QB rating of 104, good for third in the NFL. If the running game flourishes with rookie Ryan Matthews and Darren Sproles then Rivers will push for MVP honors.

4. Tom Brady (Patriots)

Tom Brady hasn't been the same since coming back from his season-ending injury in 2008, but he's still pretty dang good.

There's no reason to think that he won't be better than he was last season. Brady was a little timid coming out of the gate since he was still dealing with the psychological impact of a knee injury.

The second half of the season we saw more of what we're use to from Brady. He's no longer the best quarterback in the NFL, but most NFL teams would still love to have him as their starter.


3. Drew Brees (Saints)

It was tough putting Brees back at No.3 with all of the magic he created for the city of New Orleans in 2009, but my gut just tells me that his production will drop down a bit in 2010.

He'll still be among the leaders in passing yards and touchdowns. It was tough putting him even this far back.


2. Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Aaron Rodgers gets one spot higher than Brees due to the simple fact that he thew four less intereptions and had a less talented offense to work with. Rodgers very rarely throws an interception. In fact, in 2009 he had 12 games where he threw zero interceptions. That is almost unheard of in the NFL these days.

Now if only he could get that elusive first postseason win, but it'll come soon enough. This guy isn't going anywhere and the Packers have a solid team for 2010.

1. Peyton Manning (Colts)

He's done it for years and years now. Peyton Manning just shows no signs of slowing down unlike most quarterbacks who have a few good years before gradually descending into mediocrity.

Not Manning. Well, at least not yet. Manning hasn't thrown less than 27 touchdowns in a season since 2001, and his QB rating consistently pushes 100. He makes running the Colts offense seem like child's play. Whenever the Colts need a quick score, Manning makes three or four passes and next thing you know the Colts are sniffing the goal line. It's simply unbelievable how great Manning continues to be.

There's no reason to think he won't do that yet again in 2010.

Dasher Could Be Out For MTSU

The Blue Raiders could be on the verge of taking a devastating blow to its hopes for the 2010 season if star quarterback Dwight Dasher is suspended by the NCAA for his possible involvement in unpaid loans.

News of this broke out yesterday when someone came out and said Dasher hasn't paid back a loan that exceeds $1,000.

Shortly after that a teammate of Dasher came out and said he is missing money as well and is not sure what could have happened to the money.

This is all under current investigation by multiple organizations including police authorities and the NCAA.

It's important to note that nothing has been proven yet so there should be no judgment placed on Dasher until something is proven.

If Dasher is indeed found guilty and suspended by the NCAA then the Blue Raiders can pretty much kiss their chances goodbye of winning another bowl game this season.

The man that would replace Dasher if he was suspended from playing would be Sophomore Logan Kilgore. He was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com so the Blue Raiders do have talent to fall back on.

As good as Kilgore may be, I'm not sure he would even do half of what Dasher is capable of doing.

There's little time for all of this to be cleared up as the season opener is just 11 days away against Minnesota.

With the the Blue Raiders being at home, if Dasher is able to play then I give them a decent chance at pulling off a major upset over the Big Ten opponent.

However, if Dasher is forced to miss the game then the Blue Raider almost have no chance at winning with an inexperienced quarterback.

If Kilgore becomes the regular starter then I could see the Blue Raiders saving face in the Sun Belt schedule with the exception of those pesky Trojans from Troy.

Ranking the NFL Quarterbacks in 2010: Numbers 21-11

Alright, we got the bottom of the barrel out of the way in terms of quarterbacks. The middle part of the list features several quarterbacks that can still put up great numbers and win games for their respective teams.

However, each one of these quarterbacks have little quirks that keep them from being one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

21. Sam Bradford ( Rams)

Yes, I'm putting Sam Bradford this high. I just have a gut feeling that he's going to be one of those rookie quarterbacks that plays like he is a veteran.

Don't get me wrong. He'll have some rough games and he'll also have to get use to losing more often than winning. In the end I see Bradford having an impressive rookies season and falling somewhere in the middle of the all the major statistical categories among quarterbacks.

20. Kyle Orton (Broncos)

Kyle Orton is the definition of a conservative quarterback. He had a high completion percentage in 2009 and kept his interception somewhat low at 12. He also managed 21 touchdown passes.

Orton usually struggles greatly against good defenses. He threw three interceptions against Pittsburgh last season and barely eclipsed 150 passing yards against Baltimore. With all of that said, there's plenty of NFL teams that would gladly take Orton as their starting quarterback.

19. Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Matthew Stafford showed me something last season in that game against the Browns and that was that he's got that certain toughness that is required of a successful NFL quarterback. Forget about the fact that it came against the Browns. It still took a lot of toughness to do what he did.

Look for Stafford to take a dramatic leap forward in his sophomore season and give the fans in Detroit a five or six win season thanks largely to Stafford and his toughness.

18. Chad Henne (Dolphins)

We got the chance to see what Chad Henne was all about last season when Chad Pennington went down. Thanks to his smooth transition to the starting role it's now Henne's team going into the season.

Not only that, but now he has Brandon Marshall to throw the ball to. That means good things for his passing stats. Henne has an excellent arm that sometimes gets him into trouble. His interception output will go down in 2010 and his touchdown passes will go up.

17. Matt Cassel (Chiefs)

Matt Cassel is one of the few bright spots in Kansas City. He's a real smart quarterback and we saw that first hand when he took over for Tom Brady two seasons ago.

His numbers went down as the Chiefs starter, but can you blame him? He was surrounded by a bad team and did what he could. Lucky for Cassel he now has coordinator Charlie Weiss making the offensive calls and Weiss has a good history with this, most notably Tom Brady.

Cassel's numbers will benifit from Weiss making the calls.

16. Donovan McNabb (Redskins)

If Donovan McNabb was still with the Eagles then he would be higher on the list, but since he's moving into a new system you have to expect McNabb to take some time adjusting before he returns to his old self.

He's also not getting any younger. Despite his age he's still got one of the better arms in the NFL. Thanks to that arm and his veteran leadership he comes close to cracking the top half of the NFL.

15. Carson Palmer ( Bengals)

There's no denying the fact that Carson Palmer is going to hear an ear-full if he doesn't make Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens happy.

I like the Bengals at making a run at the division title with the Ravens. If Terrell Owens plays like he did just three seasons ago in Dallas then this team will be hard to beat, and Palmer's numbers will be among the best in the NFL. Owens may not be what he use to, but oppossing defenses will still have to respect him and that will free up Ochocinco.

Palmer could very easily end up with 25-plus touchdown passes in 2010. He had 21 last season without Owens.

14. Jay Cutler ( Bears)

If Jay Cutler had a superstar wide receiver to throw the ball to then he would easily be in the top ten on this list, but the is reality he doesn't.

He's still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL talent-wise. The question is can he turn the talent into throwing less interceptions. Offensive genious Mike Martz has prasied his awareness this offseason so we might be in store for Cutler's breakout year in 2010.

13. Eli Manning (Giants)

The monster of a hit that Eli Manning took the other night in the Giants' preseason matchup with the Jets probably didn't help his confidence at all.

Manning is a good quarterback, but he's not a great quarterback. He makes great plays at times, but not enough to make him an elite quarterback. There's still plenty of time for him to make that leap in his career, but he hasn't reach it yet. He has some great receivers to throw to so all that's left is for Manning to execute.

12. Matt Schaub (Texans)

If you were to take Andre Johnson out of the mix then Matt Schaub would be at least ten spots further back on this list. Johnson provides such a huge target for Schaub to throw to that makes him naturally a better quarterback. That's no knock on Schaub. He does great with what he has to work with.

Any quarterback who throws 29 touchdowns, only 15 interceptions, and manages a 98.6 quarterback rating deserves all the credit in the world.

11. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

Even though Big Ben will miss the first four to six games of the regular season, we're still going to consider him the starter. With that said, Roethlisberger has a lot of pressure on him to perform and not let all of this stuff going on off the field get to him.

What Roethlisberger does on the field isn't always pretty, but it's effective. Much like the late Steve McNair was, Roethlisberger just has this uncanny ability to win no matter what. He may have three interceptions in a game and he'll still find ways to keep his team in the game.

Ranking the NFL Quarterbacks in 2010: Numbers 32-22

Most fantasy football drafts are just a week or two away as the NFL season approaches.

That means that people are starting to make their own personal rankings list for each position. We're going to rank every starting quarterback (or projected starting quarterback) of every NFL team to prepare you for your fantasy draft.

Here are number 32 through 22:

32. Matt Moore (Panthers)

Matt Moore is the projected starter for the Panther as of now. He had good numbers over the last five games of last season but he's still greatly inexperienced as an NFL starter. Jimmy Clausen could very well take over the starting roll if Moore struggles in preseason.

31. Josh Freeman (Buccaneers)

Josh Freeman has the athletic ability to be a great quarterback in this league, but his youth may still hamper him in 2010. Not to mention he doesn't exactly have the best group of receivers to throw to. He did look good in the preseason opener this past week. Freeman is still a couple seasons away from becoming an elite quarterback in the NFL.

30. Trent Edwards (Bills)

Most likely the more experience Trent Edwards will begin the season as the starter for the Bills over Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, that doesn't mean that Edwards is going to have a good year. He's coming off of a year that was plagued by a concussion and an ankle injury. Every now and then he'll show glimpses of being good NFL quarterback, but he's really inconsistent.

29. Vince Young (Titans)

It's so hard to put Vince Young this far back on the list, but he's done hardly anything in his NFL career to put him any higher. He threw another ill-advised interception in the preseason opener. His throwing mechanics have always been one of his greatest weaknesses and it looks like he still hasn't completely fixed that up.

28. Matt Leinart (Cardinals)

The Cardinals are looking at a huge setback from last season's division championship if Matt Leinart doesn't prove that he's finally ready for the NFL. Much like Vince Young, Leinart has never really lived up to his potential. At least he has Larry Fitzgerald to throw the ball to. That will definitely help his numbers a little this season.

27. Jason Campbell (Raiders)

The Raiders haven't had this good of a quarterback in a while, and that's not saying too much. Campbell had a rough time while he was in Washington and now he has to figure out a way to flourish in Oakland. Not an easy task. He's going to have very little to throw to in terms of receivers so expect Campbell to struggle this season on a bad team.

26. Kevin Kolb (Eagles)

Considering Kevin Kolb has only started a few games in his NFL career, it was hard to put him any higher on the list. Obviously Andy Reid sees something in Kolb that allowed him to let go of Donovan McNabb. I expect Kolb to put up average numbers and progressively get better as the season goes along. It doesn't hurt to have an explosive playmaker like Desean Jackson at your disposal.

25. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

At one time in his career Matt Hasselbeck was a top ten quarterback in the NFL. Those times have long passed. He's reached the back nine of his career and the only thing he really has to offer anymore is his veteran leadership. He'll have some solid games but he'll also have plenty of shaky performances in 2010.

24. Alex Smith (49ers)

Alex Smith showed last season what he's capable of doing when he's surrounded by a good team. It was really the first time in his career that he was on a good team and he also has a great coach in Mike Singletary. Smith has a talented group of receivers to work with and he ended last season with 18 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. He's still very mistake prone which leaves him pretty far down this list.

23. David Garrard (Jaguars)

David Garrard is one of those quarterbacks that won't dazzle you with 300 yards game and 30 touchdown passes, but he's very effective at managing games. Whenever the Jaguars are forced to throw the football is when Garrard usually struggles. We saw that in 2009 when he threw two interceptions in a game on three different occasions.

22. Jake Delhomme (Browns)

Jake Delhomme seems really excited to be in Cleveland which leads me to believe that he's had a productive offseason. He won't put up Pro Bowl numbers but he will provide the Browns with an intelligent quarterback. His production has dropped as he's gotten older but don't count him out from having a bounce-back year since he's got some new surroundings to work with.

Numbers 21-11 will be posted next!!

NL West Race Heats Up This Weekend

The NL West over the past few seasons has been one of the most watered down divisions in baseball, but that hasn't been the case this season.

Every team in this division, with the exception of the Diamondbacks, could make a last second push for the playoffs.

Even though the Rockies and the Dodgers are within shouting distance, it will most likely come down to the Giants and the Padres.

Oh how fitting. The Giants and Padres have a three-game series this weekend in San Francisco.

If this series wasn't already heated up enough, Giants starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez guaranteed a three-game sweep of the division leading Padres. He also said that once the Giants get into first place there's no looking back.

I'm all for confidence, but I'm not so sure it's smart to get fired up the team with the best record in the NL.

If the Giants do indeed sweep this series then they'll be in first place for the first time since May 5.

There's no way the Giants will sweep this series. They don't even have the heart of their staff pitching this weekend, and Saturday's starter for the Padres is the nearly unstoppable Mat Latos.

Considering how close the wild card race is in the NL, whoever finishes second in this division has a good chance at going home early. That would obviously be crushing for the Padres. They've been in first place pretty much this entire season.

Usually it's the AL East that is getting everyone's attention, but the NL West is getting in on the act this season.

Phillips, Reds Brawl Their Way Out Of First Place

Cardinals centerfielder Colby Rasmus said it best after the three-game sweep of the Reds: "They might have woken up a sleeping giant".

Uh, you think?

I've been waiting on the Cardinals to wake up all season. The key here is they've always stayed within arm's reach of the Reds in the standing, and now they're in sole possession of first place.

I don't see the Cardinals turning back from here. Their next five series are against the Cubs, Brewers, Giants, Pirates, and Nationals. Not exactly would I would call a scary part of the schedule.

Brandon Phillips started yesterday's bench clearing brawl by talking trash like it was the WWE. Then he walked out like he was a future Hall of Famer and tapped Yadier Molina's feet while stepping into the batter's box to open the game.

This eventually led to the ejections of both Dusty Baker and Tony La Russa, which won't be going out for a beer anytime soon.

After that spanking that the Cardinals just handed to his team, Phillips has to be feeling a little foolish.

It's the middle of August and this is when teams either take the shape of a playoff team or fade away into a team struggling for a wild card spot.

All is not lost here for the Reds obviously. I wouldn't mind seeing these two teams meet later on in the playoffs. That would be good television.

NL Central Race

1. Cardinals 64-49
2. Reds 64-51 (1 GB)

NL Wild Card Race

1. Giants 64-50
2. Phillies 63-50 (1/2 GB)
3. Reds 64-51 ( 1/2 GB)

Coaches' Preseason Poll Released

Usually the preseason college football poll comes nowhere close to the final poll released after the season is concluded, but this year's poll still raises plenty of questions.

The top 5 of Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Texas, and Boise State you can't really argue with. Alabama has a ton of starters returning and many expect Terrell Pryor to be the best he's ever been under center for the Buckeyes.

Putting Florida all the way up to No.3 seems a little generous considering we're not sure exactly how great Tim Tebow's replacement is going to be. I would've put them a few spots back.

Here's an eyebrow raiser for me. Putting Oklahoma, a team that finished last season unranked, all the way up at No.8. Seems to me that the Sooners are getting the benefit of the doubt just because of their prestige.

All in all the top 25 seems to be in check with no major surprises. However, Arkansas starting the year off at No.19 also surprised me a bit. Their non-conference schedule is pretty much a joke so they'll get a chance to stay in the top 25 until mid-September when they play at Georgia and then get Alabama at home.

If the Razorbacks get through Georgia they'll most likely be in the top 10 for their battle with the Crimson Tide, which would be a very intriguing matchup.

There were also some teams that didn't make the poll that I was somewhat surprised about. Oklahoma State has been a regular in the top 25 for the past few seasons, but it won't start off that way in 2010. They only managed to get 11 votes in the poll.

Notre Dame will start off on the outside looking in, but starting the season off with a couple wins against Purdue and Michigan would most likely sneak them in.

The two BCS-busters we've all come to know (Boise St. and TCU) got love from the coaches as they will respectively start off in the top ten.

Seeing this poll just makes me even more amped up for college football to get underway. We're getting ready to enter the best time of the sports year!

Can A-Rod Chase Down 762?

OK, so Alex Rodriguez finally reached career home run No.600 today after 46 at-bats since hitting No. 599.

It would be a nice accomplishment if not for his admittance of using performance enhancing drugs.

Now the real question is whether or not he can chase down the current record, which is also tainted by alleged PED use.

As of right now Rodriguez needs 162 homers to reach Barry Bonds. At age 35, Rodriguez probably has four or five years left in the tank of good baseball. After that it's anyone's guess as to how long he might play.

After 101 games Rodriguez has only managed 17 home runs, which is way behind the pace he would need to be at to reach 762 within the next four years.

Rodriguez needs to average about 35 to 40 home runs a season over the next four seasons to have any real chance of breaking that record. Now obviously the longer he plays the lower that average is going to be.

However, I just don't see Rodriguez being anything more than an average hitter after the next four years. His home run production has declined greatly this season, and he's only projected to finish with 26 home runs at his current pace.

He's obviously not getting any younger. Common logic would say that his home run production will gradually decline as he gets older. Therefore it is my belief that Rodriguez will come up a little short of whichever record you want to count.

In the end I see Rodriguez fizzling out somewhere around 700. I'm hoping that I'm right on my prediction because there's no way I want to see someone as egotistical as Alex Rodriguez be crowned the home run king.

If he does get the record, then there will be two asterisks at the top of the home run list in most people's minds.

Career Home Run Leaders

1. Barry Bonds- 762
2. Hank Aaron- 755
3. Babe Ruth-714
4. Willie Mays- 660
5. Ken Griffey Jr.- 630
6. Sammy Sosa- 606
7. Alex Rodriguez- 600
8. Frank Robinson- 586
9. Mark McGwire- 583
10. Jim Thome- 577
    

OK Favre, This Better Be It

Once again Brett Favre has announced his retirement, and once again I'm having a hard time believing it.

When the Vikings take the field for the first game of the regular season and Favre still isn't on the roster, then I'll believe it.

Everyone should keep in mind that he can very easily change his mind at any time during the next month and still be the Vikings starter in Week 1.

The main reason why he's decided to potentially call it quits is due to his ankle that may not be responding to the surgery as well as he would've hoped.

If Favre's retirement ends up being final then there's no reason to push the panic button if you're a Vikings fan. They still have a top five defense and solid offense.

Many of you may be forgetting that Tarvaris Jackson was gradually improving before Favre came into the picture. Not to mention you have Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and Sidney Rice in your arsenal on offense.

With Favre the Vikings are right there with the Saints for Super Bowl favorites, whereas without him you move them back behind the Cowboys but still a viable contender.

Just like I said after his second retirement from the Jets, I will not be the least bit surprised if Favre is playing football next season.

Bulluck Shows He's Nothing But A Class Act

It's a lot easier to see a player go when they're continuously in trouble with the law, not performing on the field, or just down right a jerk.

Well it's safe to say that Keith Bulluck is neither of those, and he proved that by taking out a full color ad in the Tennessean that personally thanked the fans for his time as a Titan.

He didn't have to do that for me to wish him the best, but now that he did I can't help but slightly be a New York Giants fan next year. Well, I wouldn't go that far.

However, I do want to see Bulluck be successful. Yes, his production was beginning to decline, but you still can't take away the leadership that he supplied to the Titans for ten years.

He was hands down one of the most passionate players I've seen in a Titans uniform outside of the late Steve McNair.

To address the Titans linebacker situation, there's no reason to panic just yet. We still have veteran David Thornton, and Steven Tulloch has already proven that he can be a solid replacement.

Rookie Rennie Curran out of South Carolina is also someone who may end up getting some valuable playing time.

Keith Bulluck's Career with Titans

• Started 127 straight games
• 1,057 tackles ( 769 solo tackles)
• 15 forced fumbles
• 19 interceptions
• Led team in tackles in 2008, 2002-2006
  

Hanynesworth Isn't Cutting It In D.C.

It turns out that the Titans getting rid of Albert Haynesworth last season was a smart decision, and now he's the causing the Redskins problems not just off the field, but on the field as well.

Just a month ago Haynesworth was demanding a trade because he refused to play in the 3-4 defense that the Redskins used. He claimed that he was told by the front office that they would run a 4-3 defense which is what he is use to.

That storm may have temporarily subsided, but now there's a new issue for coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth can't even pass the conditioning test.

Last week Haynesworth was given a series of conditioning tests and was unable to complete the second part of it. Since then he has not taken part in any physical activity.

It's one thing if you want to be a drama queen about things and back it up with your play on the field, but when you're grossly out of shape like Haynesworth apparently is then that means you play the way the coaching staff tells you to play.

The Titans are extremely lucky to not have this headache to deal with right now. Most of the fans in D.C. have already turned against Haynesworth and I can't blame them the slightest bit.

This team has the potential to make a wildcard run with the recent addition of Donovan McNabb. Even without Haynesworth the Redskins defense is still top 10 in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Titans have seemed to have done a great job at filtering out the bad apples.