Ricky Don't Lose That Number

One story worth mentioning, is the career of Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. After many failed drug tests and countless suspensions, the once upon a time league leading rusher seems to finally be getting his life and more specifically his career back on track. Williams, a former 5th overall draft choice by the New Orleans Saints in the 1999 NFL Draft, was the NFL's top running back at one point in time when he led the league with 1,853 rushing yards in 2002. Since then, Ricky has had limited success, but none matching the numbers he had in his 2002 season. Since that year, Williams has had a whirlwind of an adventure, mainly highlighted by an early retirement from the game in 2004 after what would become the first of many failed drug tests.

Williams made a return to the game in 2005, and was again suspended for violating the league's drug policy, this time for the entire 2006 NFL season. The suspension then resulted in a brief stint in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts, where Williams was plagued with a number of injuries. After another failed drug test in 2007, Williams began practicing yoga which has since then helped him stop using marijuana. Ricky made his return in November of '07 and similar to years past, he sustained an injury in his first game back. The injury would then cause him to miss the rest of the season. The 2008 NFL season was a quiet one for Ricky, as he only started 3 games resulting in a career-low 659 yards.

A new year means new opportunities and that's exactly what Williams has had in the first half of the 2009 NFL season. All season long, Ricky has shared snaps in the wild-cat formation with teammate and fellow running back Ronnie Brown. But just 2 weeks ago, Brown went down with an injury, opening the window of opportunity for Ricky Williams. In just his first start of the season last week against Carolina, Williams led the team to a 24-17 victory. Williams scored all three of Miami's touchdowns and ran for a season high 119 rushing yards to go along with 2 rushing touchdowns and 1 touchdown reception. The solid performance also included a career first, as Williams scored rushing and receiving touchdowns for the first time in his NFL career.

With teammate Ronnie Brown scheduled to have surgery, we wait & see if Williams can continue to turn his career around and keep the Miami offense afloat. With that being said, we wish him all the luck!

49ers x Week 11 x Timing is Key

This past Sunday, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a bone to pick with the San Francisco 49ers, as they were the team that let him fall to the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft. The 49ers decided to pass on him and instead pick QB Alex Smith as the number 1 overall draft pick. The decision then resulted in Rodgers falling late in the draft. Rodgers, who went to school and set many records at Cal Berkeley, grew up a huge 49er fan and was projected to go a lot earlier in the draft & quite possibly land into the arms of his favorite childhood team. However that couldn't have been any further from the outcome as Rodgers would seek revenge.

After the first half, Green Bay headed into the locker room with a 23-3 lead, highlighted by Rodgers' 274 yards and 2 touchdowns. What looked like a potential record setting day for the Packer offense, soon became a non factor in the second half, as the 49ers then began to show some light of a possible comeback. Alex Smith who had the slowest start of his career in the first half, went on to throw three second half touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter to narrow the Packer lead to only 6 points. Clock management then became key, as the Packers were able to run out the remaining 5 minutes and 56 seconds. In addition to Aaron Rodgers' stellar performance, Packers running back Ryan Grant was too much to handle for the league's sixth leading rush defense. Although the Packers won the game by a score of 24-30, it would cost them two key defense men as both LB Aaron Kampman and CB Al Harris went down with knee injuries. Both players are reported to be out for the rest of the season.

Green Bay finished the game with twice as much time of possession as San Francisco -- 41:39 to 18:21, as the use of the clock became the deciding factor. Another stat worth mentioning was the number of first downs both teams had. Green Bay finished with 26, opposed to only 10 49er first downs. With the win, Green Bay improves to 6-4 on the season. As for San Francisco, the loss drops them to 4-6 overall and their playoff hopes begin to slowly vanish with another win from Arizona (7-3). Each quarterback finished the game with respective numbers, Alex Smith 227 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Aaron Rodgers 344 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Noteworthy: Rookie WR Michael Crabtree caught his first career touchdown reception. & TE Vernon Davis added to his team leading touchdown total with his 8th touchdown reception of the season. The Packers head to Detroit(2-9) for a Thanksgiving showdown, as the 49ers host the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars(6-4) on Sunday.

Lincecum Makes It Back-To-Back!

This past Thursday, the winner of the National League Cy Young Award was released, with three main candidates in mind. San Francisco Giants righty Tim Lincecum was in the candidacy against two right-handed St. Louis Cardinals --Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Lincecum however, came out on top and won the award for the second consecutive season. With the hardware, Lincecum became the first player ever to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards in each of his first two full big league seasons.

Timmy gave thanks to the Giants organization, fans and more specifically Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, manager Bruce Bochy and catcher Bengie Molina. Tim also gave praise to his father Chris who taught him just about everything he learned about pitching. Chris was the founder and provider of Timmy's wacky, yet successful wind-up, as he played a huge role in his son's pitching development.

In one of the closest Cy Young votes ever, Tim edged out the competition with 100 total points, opposed to Carpenter's 94 points and Wainwright's 90. Lincecum's 15 wins became the smallest total for a Cy Young winner who was a full-time starting pitcher in a non-strike-shortened season. The slim win total surpassed the previous 16 wins Arizona's Brandon Webb established in 2006, the same record and amount this year's American League Cy Young Award winner Zach Greinke finished the season with by going 16-8. Although both Carpenter and Wainwright compiled more wins than Lincecum did, Tim(15-7) led the league in strikeouts with and owned an ERA of 2.48, only behind Carpenter's 2.24 for the NL. The 25 year old had a remarkable season last year, but had a better year in terms of stats in 2009 in categories such as: Earned Run Average (from 2.62 to 2.48), Opponents Batting Average (from .221 to .206) and Walks (from 68 to 84).

Lincecum led the Major Leagues by making seven starts in which he worked at least eight innings and didn't allow an earned run. He also had a Major League best with eight double-digit strikeout performances, including a 15-strikeout outing against Pittsburgh on July 27th. With the award in back-to-back seasons, Lincecum became the eighth pitcher to be named Cy Young Award winner in consecutive seasons and the first since former Giant Randy Johnson, who won four in a row with the Arizona Diamond-Backs from 1999-2002. After being the cover athlete of MLB 2K10, starting this season's All-Star Game and winning not 1, but 2 Cy Young Awards in Tim's brief yet brilliant career, you begin to ask, What's next on the kid's list? & The answer is starting in and winning the World Series.

Other notable award recipients: AL Cy Young Award winner: Kansas City pitcher Zach Greinke, AL MVP Award winner: Minnesota Twins catcher Justin Morneau, NL MVP Award winner: St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, AL Manager of the Year Award winner: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim skipper Mike Scioscia, and NL Manager of the Year Award winner: Colorado Rockies skipper Jim Tracy.

A.I.'s One Night Stand

The relationship between Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies has come to an early end and seemed to be over before it even started, as Memphis waived Iverson and terminated his contract, just last week. In the off season, Iverson was in pursuit of finding a suitor that wouldn't mind hiring him as the everyday starter. Instead, Iverson was coming off the bench and was again displeased with the decision made by the team and coach, resulting in his departure from the team for "personal reasons".

The former NBA MVP and 4-time scoring champion was linked to a potential deal with the New York Knicks before his signing with Memphis and after his departure. However the Knicks made it more than clear over the weekend, that the team had no intent on adding Iverson. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Iverson would come in and play 40 minutes a game, taking time away from others that are in need of time on the court to continue their growth. With New York no longer in the Iverson sweepstakes, the question now being asked, is has A.I.'s illustrious career in the NBA come to an end? Sure many teams could use his ability to score points, but will teams be willing to start Iverson and hurt the development of their future?

How Sweep It Is x The No Fun League

This past weekend, the Cincinnati Bengals completed a season sweep of the division rival and defending Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the first time since 1998. The Bengals have also completed the season sweep of their division foe Baltimore Ravens, marking the first time in franchise history Cincinnati was able to sweep both in the same season. Even with a banged up and injured Cedric Benson, the Mighty Bengals were able to come out on top, 18-12 in Pittsburgh. Benson, the potential MVP candidate went down in the second quarter and was replaced by back-up running back Bernard Scott. Scott scored the game's only touchdown on a 96-yard kickoff return in the opening quarter.

Seeing your star back go down with an injury is never music to a team's ears. However the Bengals are fortunate to have a core of good back-ups. & With the new addition of former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, the team adds depth to an already strong position. Johnson, who was recently released from Kansas City last week could make his Bengals debut as soon as Sunday against Oakland, if he learns the playbook soon enough. & With Benson treating an injured hip, his status for this week's game is doubtful which would play a perfect role if Johnson does indeed play.

The running back position hasn't been the only headline made for the Bengals. In fact, prior to Sunday's game in Pittsburgh, wide-out Chad Ochocinco wanted to send mustard to the Steelers locker room. Coach Marvin Lewis however simply said "No". The prank worked in week 9 when #85 sent a box of deodorant to the Ravens locker room. The barer of practical jokes and on field antics was fined $20,000 by the NFL for "Bribing" officials in week 9's defeat over Baltimore. After a reviewable call in which Chad was called out of bounds on, Ochocinco was seen jokingly trying to hand an official a dollar bill. The NFL didn't find it funny, as they refused the $1 and instead demanded a whopping $20,000 instead. Now that doesn't sound like a fair trade. Let's see what Chad has under his sleeve this week against Oakland.

The $250,000 Finger

The NFL has fined Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams 250,000 big ones for giving 'obscene gestures' out of his owners box, or in other words, the bird. That's right, he gave a double fisted middle finger salute, to those of you who aren't familiar with the expression 'the bird'. The incident occurred in the 4th quarter of Sunday's 41-17 beat down the Titans gave the visiting Buffalo Bills. The 86 year old Adams later apologized to the Bills, their fans and the NFL by saying "I'm sorry for my actions, I just got caught up in the excitement of a great day." The funniest thing above all, is that even the commissioners presence in the stadium couldn't retain Adams for doing what he did, as NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell was in Adams' suite during the game and prior to the incident.

Whichever way you look at it, I think it was just a salute from Adams to all the haters that doubted his team after their disappointing 0-6 start of the season. With the finger, the Titans have improved to 3-6 and are now on a 3-game winning streak since Adams specifically ordered Titans head coach Jeff Fisher to name Vince Young the starting quarterback. If Adams plans on going all Stone Cold Steve Austin on anyone or giving the finger this week, it'll be on the road and on national television, as the Houston Texans host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. & With two speedy running backs on both ends -- Chris Johnson & Steve Slaton, it should be a good one!

Wacko Jacko makes a Call & Mo-Jo takes a Knee

As if the Belichick call wasn't debatable enough for ya, another disputed call over the weekend was Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio's decision to have his star running back Maurice Jones-Drew take a knee at the 1-yard line with an open path to the end zone, instead to give kicker Josh Scobee an extra point length field goal with time time expiring. Similar to Belichick, coach Del Rio received lots of criticism regarding his risky late game decision, as many analysts have said it's "Not smart to give up points in a game, EVER!"

My thoughts on the decision were rather complimenting. I think the call just goes to show how confident Del Rio was in his kicker. Not to mention the unselfishness showed by Jones-Drew. Although he was given a command to do something, I wouldn't be too surprised about the handful of players that refuse to take a knee instead of adding a touchdown to their stats. After the game, Jones-Drew, who's leading the league in touchdowns, later apologized to his fantasy team owners and that's what I find most comical about the whole thing. I also liked the call Del Rio made, by not allowing the Jets to make a late game touchdown. What the call does do however, is put a lot of pressure on your kicking staff by relying on them to win you the game. But if the kick is good like it was in this situation, everyone goes home happy.

THROWBACK THURSDAY x HE'S BAAAACK

Pau Gasol returns to action tonight, as the Lakers host the visiting Bulls. Week's before the Lakers kicked off their 2009-2010 campaign, the team received news of Pau's injury and would have to start the season without him. & Now 11 games into the season, Gasol makes his season debut. The former 2002 NBA Rookie of the year has been monitoring a sprained hamstring and will be back just in time if the Lakers plan on taking the Western Conference by storm like they did last season. Pau's return also means a bit more pressure will be taken off of Kobe's shoulders and that's always a good thing. With that being said, go get 'em tiger!

4th & 2

On Sunday, Peyton Manning & Tom Brady renewed their rivalry as the Colts & Patriots took the field for what would become a game for the decade. Prior to the game, the friendly rivalry between both team's quarterbacks was described similar to the one held by Magic Johnson & Larry Bird. However the game itself was no friendly a fair. Although the quarterbacks were sure to make headlines, it was a decision made by New England head coach Bill Belichick that stole the spotlight. With a little more than 2 minutes left on the clock and the ball on the 30-yard line, Belichick decided to go for it with a 6 point lead, only to come up short.

After a New England turnover, Manning & the Colts only had to march some 29 yards and scored the winning touchdown four plays later. Manning's favorite receiver Reggie Wayne made a leaping grab in the end-zone with 16 seconds remaining, as Wayne finished the day with a total of 126 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 receptions. It wasn't long before Belichick took some serious heat after his risky late game decision, as he addressed the media soon after the game. Monday was no different as Belichick was slammed by just about every analyst possible, including some of his former players. Former Patriot Tedy Bruschi played under Belichick for 9 seasons and criticized his former head coach by saying "His decision to go for it was a slap in the face to the defense by showing he didn't have faith in them."

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Pats held a 17-point lead but failed to hold on as they lost the game 35-34. Although the decision to go for it on 4th down has been a success for Bill Belichick in recent years, this one just might linger in the coach's mind for quite some time. As for his quarterback, Tom Brady said "I Loved the decision made by coach Belichick, I never question his decision."

49ers x Week 10 x Back in the Win Column

Thursday's game between the visiting Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers was a little bit too close for comfort, as the game came down to the final play. For a 49er defense that's been struggling in recent weeks, they did just about everything right, causing Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to throw for a career-high 5-interceptions, including two in the end-zone and 1 with time expiring. Apart from the defense that highlighted the game, San Francisco running-back Frank Gore had the only offensive game worth mentioning for either team. Gore ran for 104 yards on 25 carries and scored the only touchdown of the game.

The 10-6 win for San Francisco put a halt to the team's 4-game losing skid as their record improves to 4-5. Chicago on the other hand drops to 4-5 in an NFC North division that seems to already be out of reach for the Bears, thanks to the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings. & With 10 weeks in the books, the Windy City is left winded by the production of newly acquired quarterback Jay Cutler. Although Cutler accumulates lots of yardage, he leads the league in interceptions with 17. The production has raised eye-brows as his counterpart Kyle Orton has led the Denver Broncos to a 6-2 start heading into Sunday and sole possession of first place in the AFC West.

Next week, The 49ers will have to stay warm as they head to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to face the 5-4 Green Bay Packers. The Packers are coming off of a statement game in which they shut-out the Cowboys and snapped Dallas' 4-game winning streak. & As a proud Fantasy owner of Aaron Rodgers, I just might have to have him sit this one out considering what the Niner defense did to Jay Cutler. Then again Cutler and Rodgers aren't on the same page this season.

From Bad to Worse

For the New Orleans Hornets, things have gone from bad to worse in the early going of the 2009 NBA season. & After a 3-7 record to show for in the team's first 10 games, Hornets front office reacted by firing head coach Byron Scott. The former 2007-2008 Coach of the Year and three-time NBA Champion, coached the team from 2004-2009 and held a record of 203 wins & 216 losses. Whether or not the decision of letting Scott go was the right thing to do, the move has angered New Orleans star point guard Chris Paul. After receiving the news, Paul feels he should have been consulted prior to Scott's departure. & I don't blame him, given he's the core and future of that Hornets franchise. Not to mention he's the only NBA coach Paul has had.

If that wasn't bad enough news for the Hornets, things would get no better, as Chris Paul went down in the 3rd quarter of tonight's game in Portland with an ankle injury. Although x-rays have not yet been confirmed, this has got to worry the folks in New Orleans. But even with Paul in the line-up, I still believe this team is one marquee player away from stirring up trouble in the Western Conference. As for Byron Scott's future, if he's still available come next season when Phil Jackson is likely to retire, I wouldn't mind having him coach the Lakers. After all, he was a key player for the L.A. during the Show-time era. *Wink Wink*

Let's Give 'em Somethin to Talk about

Prior to last night's game in Miami for LeBron and the Cavs, 'King James' says he's no longer answering any further questions regarding his free agency that begins after the 2009-2010 NBA season. Many including Dwayne Wade think the two could possibly end up on the same team come the start of next season, as Wade's contract will also expire at the end of this season. But in a pregame interview LeBron went on to say it's unfair and disrespectful to his teammates and fans, after being asked what the latest news on his contract was. & I couldn't agree anymore. I'm just as tired and fed up with the media's continuous free agent questions as he is.

In a game that Michael Jordan was in attendance for, the Cleveland Cavaliers came out on top 111-104. & In a post game interview, LeBron said he's going to change his jersey number at the end of this season. James, who wears the same #23 that Jordan wore his entire College and NBA career, says the NBA should consider retiring the number in honor of MJ. But if that's the case, they might as well retire all the numbers worn by other NBA greats such as Jerry West, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, etc. & Although MJ's impact on the game of Basketball is irreplaceable, he's no Jackie Robinson. James plans on wearing the number 6, that he wore with the 'Redeem Team' during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Throwback Thursday x Samurai Mike

In one of my most recent posts, I briefly described 49ers head coach Mike Singletary's pro career as a linebacker. So I thought who better to dedicate a Throwback Thursday to, than the man of the hour -- Mike Singletary himself. Throughout his successful 11-year career with the Chicago Bears, Mike Singletary was a pro-bowl linebacker 10 of those 11 seasons and was known as "The Heart of the Defense" in the mid-80's while the team was dubbed the name "The Monsters of Midway". Singletary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, and helped the Bears win Superbowl XX. The 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year was ranked number 56 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Singletary began his coaching career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2003-2004 as an assistant coach and became an instant hit once the 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan midway threw the year. The management and fans fell in love with his 'Go Hard or Go Home' mentality as the team finished the season 5-4 under his leadership. The 49ers front office liked the way Singletary went about doing business and offered him a 4-year $10 million dollar contract as 49ers head coach. Now that he's all cozy in the Bay Area, he'll have to face the team he once had a Hall of Fame career with.

Perfect Timing

Early Monday morning, Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was released by the team after his suspension. Johnson who's underachieved so far this season, has been on bad terms with the team since late October, after criticizing head coach Todd Haley and using gay slurs not once, but twice via Twitter. Both altercations angered fans and management resulting in his suspension and played a big role in the team's decision to release him.

Johnson was only 75 yards shy of reaching and breaking the Chiefs franchise rushing record held by Priest Holmes. Many Kansas City fans petitioned and demanded the Chiefs to either deactivate or release him, saying he didn't deserve the record. Perfect timing right? What better way for a team to bid farewell to a player they've been disappointed in, than to release him before he breaks one of the team's franchise records. Johnson cleared waivers yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon allowing him to sign with another team if interested. Although I'm sure he'll end up signing with another team in need of a running back before it's all said and done, it looks things could have been avoided. Instead Twitter is to blame for this one.

49ers x Week 9 Recap x Week 10 Preview

For the fourth week in a row, the San Francisco 49ers have came out win-less, this time against Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans. & For the second straight week, Titans running back Chris Johnson proved he couldn't be stopped. Last week he feasted off the Jaguars defense by tallying up a franchise record 228 rushing yards. & Although the Niners defense held him 100 yards less than Jacksonville did, his 135 yards and 2 touchdowns ended up being the deciding factor as the 49ers fell short, 34-27.

Similar to last week's close loss to the Colts, the Niners went into the half with the lead. But the 49er defense just wasn't there and Alex Smith's 3 interceptions didn't help much either. The Niner offense turned the ball over a total of 4 times (3 int's and 1 fumble) resulting in 24 points for the Titans. The loss was also Smith's 7th straight. As for Tennessee, it was the team's second consecutive win after the Titans went win less through their first 6 games. Now that Vince Young has earned his job back, it looks like the team is beginning to rebound after a disappointing start of the season to say the least. Then again, it could be the lack of opponents -- Jacksonville & San Francisco.

In week 10, the 49ers will host the Chicago Bears as the NFL kicks off their first Thursday night game of the season. 49er tight end Vernon Davis decided to add some flame to the fire as he says he and the 9er offense can and will destroy the Bears defense tomorrow night. That defense Davis speaks of is normally a 'D' that's among the league's best year after year. However the Bears 'D' has slowly began to fall apart the past 2 years & the team has been without it's pro-bowl captain Brian Urlacher since week 1 and will now be without three time pro-bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Harris was ejected from Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals for punching offensive guard Deuce Lutui. Not only will this game be a must win for both teams, but it's also a homecoming game for 49er head coach Mike Singletary.

Singletary won't be making a return to Chicago, but he'll be up against his former team. Singletary played 11 years as a Bears linebacker and was part of one of the strongest defenses the NFL has ever seen, dubbed the nickname "The Monsters of Midway". It'll be interesting to see whether or not Vernon Davis can back up his words tomorrow night and get the Niners their much needed 4th win of the season in quest of making the playoffs. Davis is currently tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions with 7.

Who said Freak's don't like to Party?

Just last week, San Francisco Giants ace and potential back-to-back NL Cy Young award winner -- Tim Lincecum was stopped in his home state of Washington for speeding 74 mph in a 60 mph zone, before police noticed the marijuana odor coming from inside his car once he had rolled the window down. Lincecum faced two misdemeanor charges, for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia before charges were dropped over the weekend. Police confiscated a pipe and a measured amount of 3.3 grams of weed, which was said to be the size of a thumb. Only enough for personal use.

The San Francisco Giants were aware of the situation but did not comment immediately. Although this one isn't as big of a shocker as it was when U.S. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was seen ripping a bong in photos that were leaked on the Internet, it'll be interesting to hear what analysts and sports writers make of this. I can't say I was too surprised about this whole ordeal, especially since Timmy's been growing that hideous hippie mullet thing since the '09 off season. I'm just glad this all came to surface after the regular season was over. I don't approve of it, nor do I think it's a big deal. But it'll be interesting however to see whether or not this will effect the opinions of those who are in charge of the Cy Young voting.

In my opinion, I think it'll have little to no effect on his Cy Young candidacy, but who knows? Those old fogies that do the voting often tend to nit-pick at every little thing possible. The right-handed Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 32 starts and 225 1/3 innings. Lincecum also went on to lead the National League in strikeouts with 261, only 8 shy of Detroit's Justin Verlander who led the majors with 269. As we wait patiently for the Cy Young award winners to be announced, I say fuck it and light another blunt.

A-Rod Gets His

Just over a year ago, the Yankees and their fans bidded a fairwell to the old Yankee stadium and all the treasures that went with it. But something the organization brought along to the new stadium across the street, was the recent memories and the ones soon to be created. And similar to when renevations were made at the old Yankee stadium back in 19, the team brought home the gold in the stadium's first year. & For a tittle that means everything in the world to the players, means that much more to the Steinbrenner's. The homegrown Yankees -- Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera all said this one was for the boss. But A-rod knows this one means just enough to him as it does the fans.

A season that started on a sour note for Alex Rodriguez ends in the best way possible. Before the season started, Rodriguez was caught lying about using steroids back in his early years with the Texas Rangers and then publicly admitted using performance enhancers in an interview with Katie Couric, the same woman he lied to in an interview years back. Things then got worse from there as he injured his hip during spring training and later underwent surgery. In his first game upon his return against Baltimore, A-rod proved he was healthy by hitting a home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat.

Finally 16 years in the making, Rodriguez won his first world series championship and helped New York bring home their 27th world tittle and first in a 9-year drought. All of this came with the help of a productive A-rod, who prior to this year's postseason, wasn't a huge contributor when it came to postseason play. Instead, he played a huge role and contributed a ton in the team's championship run. A-rod capped off an 18 rbi postseason by batting .365 to go along with 6 home runs. Many are thanking actress and girlfriend of Rodriguez' Kate Hudson for his odd postseason success. & Over the weekend, A-rod and a few others from the 2009 championship team were introduced at a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Talk is Cheap for Rollins

As we all know, actions speak louder than words. & While Jimmy Rollins did all the talking by predicting the Phillies to beat the Yankees in this season's Fall Classic, the Yankees were the ones who came out victorious. Prior to the 2009 World Series, Philadelphia Phillies short stop Jimmy Rollins said on national television that his team would beat the New York Yankees in 5 games and 6 if they were nice. They must of been extra nice if they let the Yankees beat them in 6 games, handing the evil empire their 27th World Series tittle.

Since then, J-Roll hasn't said much, other than answering "No" after being asked if he thought the Yankees fed off of his wild prediction. But Rollins' coach and teammates still think they're the better team. Why?, I don't know. The 2008 defending champion Phillies were unable to become back-to-back world series champions, leaving only two National League ball clubs to ever reach the feat. The 1921-1922 New York Giants and most recently the Big Red Machine who won back-to-back world series tittles in 1975-1976.

There's no denying the Phillies were a strong team, but with the Yankees' offseason additions of Mark Texeira, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, the New York Yankees were the better team and are once again world series champions. Philadelphia will once again hope to push their world series hopes next season as they bring back ace Cliff Lee.

Dallas has a new Drama Queen in Town

T.O. all over again?, It can't be! Many thought the drama in Dallas between Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his fellow wide-outs would be over once team owner Jerry Jones cut ties with T.O. But now wide receiver Roy Williams wants a piece of the pie as he began complaining over the week after the team's 38-17 victory over Seattle on Sunday. The self proclaimed number 1 receiver says he isn't receiving the ball enough and claims the number 2 receiver on the team is getting all the looks. Williams referring to Dallas' new poster boy Miles Austin.

During all of this, Williams also says he's, "Not a T.O." Which I find quite funny considering he also leads the team in dropped passes. The quote on quote "Number 2 receiver" Austin has more receiving yards and touchdowns in 3 starts this season, than Williams has in the 16 total starts he's played in since joining the Cowboys. I don't know what it is that makes me dislike the Cowboys. Whether it's the stamp of "America's Team" or the players that never tend to quit their bitching. No matter what it is, there always seems to be some big mouth player on the team that has to complain about something. Which brings me to ask, will Jerry Jones pull the plug on Roy Williams next?

Forty Niners x Week 8 x Close But No Cigar

On a day that seen Peyton Manning became the 4th quarterback in NFL history to complete 4,000 passes, his Indianapolis Colts were in hot water facing the 49ers. San Francisco matched well in the early going as they led 14-9 at halftime. The 49er lead was also the first time Indy trailed heading into the half this season. But like always, it doesn't matter how you start the game, but rather how you finish it. & What the Niners did to finish the game was unacceptable. They were kept scoreless the entire second half resulting in a 18-14 win for the Colts.

For a San Francisco defense that's been missing in action since week 4, they were fortunate enough to keep Peyton Manning from adding any damage by completing any touchdown passes. & Although holding Manning touchdown-less is no easy task, they were still unable to prevent him from reaching the 300 passing yard mark. Manning tied a career high for 300 yard games in a single season with his sixth. The former MVP and Superbowl Champion finished the day off with 31-of-48 to compliment his 347 passing yards. All of this helped Indy accomplish their 16th straight regular-season win.

On opposite ends, San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith got his first start since the early weeks of the 2008 season. He didn't have the strongest start, but what he did was keep the 49ers into the game late. He compiled 198 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception off of 19-for-32 passing attempts. & Like usual, the bond between Vernon Davis and Alex Smith grew larger with a 8-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Davis. I was right about my prediction on Smith not being able to have 2 consecutive solid starts, but what more could I have expected against an Indianapolis Colts defense? The 18-14 loss marked the third in a row for the 49ers, so hopefully next Sunday will be a brighter day for San Francisco as they host Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans.

Smooth Operator

I'm not one to brag, but I believe I called this one 2 weeks ago when the Titans were still struggling behind starting quarterback Kerry Collins. & Prior to last week's Titans-Jaguars match-up, the Titans front office demanded coach Fisher to name Vince Young the starting quarterback for week 8. Some questioned the move, but like others, I thought it was about damn time. In fact, I thought the move should have been made weeks earlier.

In his first start since week 1 of the 2008 season, Vince Young helped seal the first win of the season for the Tennessee Titans. Although Young didn't put up eye boggling numbers, he played mistake free football completing 15-of-18 passes for a total of 125 yards and 1 touchdown. Regardless of the numbers, he did something in his first start, that Collins couldn't do in 7 starts. Something else the Jacksonville Jaguars were unable to stop was the Tennessee run game as Titans running back Chris Johnson broke the Titans' single-game franchise record for rushing yards by compiling 228 yards to go along with 2 touchdowns.

Johnson's career game might have stolen the spotlight from Young, but Vince couldn't be any happier now that he's got his job back. & Although former starter Kerry Collins doesn't agree with the move, he'll now have to deal with it until management decides to think otherwise. After a sluggish 0-6 start of the season for the Tennessee Titans, Vince Young will try to prove last week's victory was no fluke as he aims to continue his success this Sunday against my 49ers.

Throwback Thursday x Jack Nicholson

This Thursday we dedicate a Throwback to one of the biggest and most loyal sports fans in the biz. None other than Mr. Jack Nicholson himself. Seeing Nicholson sitting court side with the Los Angeles Lakers is just as big of a surprise as seeing Kobe on the floor. This Staple Center regular is there to support the purple and gold on almost any occasion, as he has been for years now. Nicholson has become somewhat of an icon in sports and it's a rare sighting not seeing him jumping up and down on the sidelines as if he were an actual player on the team. If a bad call is called, Jack will be sure to let the refs know about it. & With the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season tipped off, we salute one of the greatest fans and biggest celebrities in all of sports. Go Lakers!

Bush can Talk the Talk, But can he Walk the Walk?

In an interview earlier this week, Saints back-up running back and 1-2 punch alongside Peirre Thomas, has gone as far as saying the Saints have a good chance of going a perfect 16-0 this season. But with a difficult schedule ahead, I'm thinking otherwise. In the coming weeks, Drew Brees and company will have their hands full with such opponents as: the New England Patriots in week 12, the Dallas Cowboys in week 15, and 2 games against the Atlanta Falcons, including one tonight in a Monday Night showdown. You would think this bold prediction would come from a bigger contributor, but Bush decided to take advantage of his fame that he's been given from both an awesome career as a USC Trojan, and hubby of celebrity Kim Kardashian. Let's see how things pan out tonight in New Orleans shall we!?

I'm Going Going, Back Back, to Lambeau Lambeau!

Mark your calenders, the day is finally here. Brett Favre and the Vikings head to Green Bay for the first time this season, and the first time for Favre as a visitor. You already know it'll be an emotional game thanks to Favre's drama filled return to the frozen tundra of Lambeau field, but the closing distance of the NFC North standings should make this game that much more interesting. The last time Favre played at Lambeau, his final pass resulted in an interception and his tenure with the team ended on a sour note. Now he'll be able to change all of that. What he won't be able to change is how the fans in Green Bay react.