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It's that time of the year again to grab those fantasy magazines, read all the same old websites, make your own evaluations, and start ranking players for your upcoming draft. Sure you can glean fantasy opinions just about anywhere these days so what's a little more information to add to the fold? Anyone that's followed The DC Sports Page advice over the years has probably done very well in their league - see previous advice.

Let's take a closer look at the top ten Fantasy RB's this season.

1. Chris Johnson: Chris Johnson tore up fantasy leagues last season and there's no reason he can't lead the way again this year for fantasy running backs...especially when playing for a better contract.

2. Adrian Peterson: Peterson plays for what many have said could be the worst coach in the NFL. His rushing yards may have taken a hit last season as the addition of Favre (the first real starting calibur quarterback in Minn. in his career) helped stretch the field and take them one step from the Super Bowl. Peterson is the most complete running back in the league and is taking a back seat for the good of the team to share the ball in order to bring home a title. Peterson's stats speak for themselves, so let them carry you to as Johnny Drama (from Entourage) would say, "VICTORY!"

3. Maurice Jones-Drew: Without Fred Taylor to carry some of the load, fantasy owners received exactly what they expected last season...a giant increase in already solid production. Expect similar numbers to last season.

4. Michael Turner: Turner began to break down last season...was it due to the strong load from the previous season? It appears that Ryan is also tied to Turner and as Turner went so did the Falcon's offense. Look for the Falcons to keep Turner more fresh and for Turner to make the most of his rushing attempts to prove that his numbers from two seasons ago weren't a fluke.

5. Ray Rice: Everyone took notice of Rice's small frame, huge heart, and aggressive running last season despite losing carries along the goal line to McGahee. It may not be realistic to expect Rice to duplicate last season's performance and with the addition of Boldin to help stretch the field Rice may lose more open field touches resulting in a decrease from last season's numbers.

6. Frank Gore: Has there ever been a more quiet running back in recent memory that just shows up week in and week out without much hoopla? Gore may not be as powerful as ironhead Heyward used to be or as fast as DeAngelo Williams, but he effectively gets the job done and produces consistent fantasy numbers...and The DC Sports Page likes consistency.

7. DeAngelo Williams: It's all about the running game in Carolina. Somehow the Panthers have two starting running backs where both can eclipse over 1,000 rushing yards and plenty of TDs. It's too bad that there isn't a capable QB or #2 WR to help stretch the field and back off the S & LBs to open up more of the running game.

8. Shonn Green: Green should flourish in the Jets run heavy offense. Don't worry about LT stealing carries as there'll be lots to go around. It will also help keep Green fresh. His fantasy numbers should be less erratic then others further down the rankings due to the large volume of rushing attempts.

9. Steven Jackson: Jackson's numbers have tailed off from his last spectacular year four years ago, but still racks up impressive numbers at season's end. Expect some games for Jackson's numbers to drop off the map with a couple of giant fantasy game stats.

10. Rashard Mendenhall: As the Steelers leaned more on the running game and their 2nd year running back, Mendenhall should fans exactly what he was capable of doing. He has the ability to rack up huge fantasy stats as he can run short yardage and make plays in the open field. With Big Ben on the bench to start the season, Mendenhall will be expected to shoulder more of the offense.

Most Overvalued:

Benson had a career year last season. He's the classic high risk high reward pick. Can he handle the full load through an entire season and without any off the field issues? These issues land Benson just out of the top ten.

Most Undervalued:

Has the NFL and Carolina seen the best that Stewart has to offer? No. Stewart has yet to be completely healthy and splits carries with Williams yet has found a way to co-exist and keep fantasy owners and teammates happy, Imagine a healthy Stewart shouldering a majority of carries. A strong pick in hold over legues.

Sleepers:

Jamaal Charles: Charles quietly amassed huge numbers towards the end of the season on a poor offensive team. As the Chiefs rebuild the OL, Charles numbers can only improve. As the OL improves Charles yards per attempt should increase. He's an elusive runner to tackle in the open field. Even with Jones pouching carries, Charles should be more fresh for some explosive runs.

Ryan Matthews: Matthew was drafted to fill the starting role left open by the departure of LT. He's a quick & strong rb with size. Norv likes to run and look for a lot of opportunities for Matthews.

Deep Sleepers:

Ronnie Brown: Brown may fall of the radar due to his return from injury. When healthy Brown has shown the ability to be a top ten fantasy rb. Bide your time and look for a steal in mid to late rounds by drafting Brown.

Felix Jones: The hits are piling up and so is the mileage on Barber. Although Jones has yet to make in through an entire season, this explosive runner is sure to take more touches from Barber and threaten him for the starting role.

Jahvid Best: Kevin Smith is slowly returning from injury. Best is making the most of his opportunities and adds dimension of speed that Smith lacks. The first few games Best plays and performs (as Smith works his way back into the fold) may determine the rookie's fate this season.

Arian Foster: Tate could be done for the season. Slayton's season ended early last year with a neck injury and all of a sudden the name Foster moves up the depth chart. Keep an eye on this young rb in late rounds.

One Last Helpful Hint: Too much is made of drafting a starting RB's handcuff (i.e. their back up running back on the depth chart.) The real strategy should be drafting starters as reserves and ensuring that you have the best reserve running backs that can come in and start for you when needed. The only handcuff that should be drafted over another starting running back is Jonathan Stewart who garners as much yardage and TD's as a back up compared to other starting running backs.

Once all the starting running backs are off the board, then consider the fantasy potential if they became the starter for their team for a significant part of the season. McGahee, Sproles, & Bradshaw move towards the top of the list.

Good luck and feel free to send your questions to any of the team here.

It's that time of the year again to grab those fantasy magazines, read all the same old websites, make your own evaluations, and start ranking players for your upcoming draft. Sure you can glean fantasy opinions just about anywhere these days so what's a little more information to add to the fold? Anyone that's followed The DC Sports Page advice over the years has probably done very well in their league - see previous advice.

Let's take a closer look at the top ten Fantasy QB's this season.

1. Payton Manning: Most sites and publications will rank Payton 2nd or 3rd, but not here. How can you deny that Manning has been one of the most consistent and durable fantasy players for almost a decade.

Let everyone else take Brees or Rodgers while Manning slips right into your lap. That's right, if you're drafting at the end of the first round you'll have as close to there is for a lock for 30 TDs and 4,000 yards passing. Manning isn't a feast or famine fantasy player that racks up huge numbers in a couple of games to skew a season's average. He does it for 16 games!

So finish the end of the 2nd Round knowing you have a top RB & QB. Why take a 2nd & 3rd tier RB and allow Manning to slip back in the 2nd Round to someone that already has a top tier RB. (Know you're scoring system and whether QB TDs are 6pts or 4 pts)

2. Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers numbers spiked up again last year to 30 TDs while his INTs fell to 7. It's hard not to like numbers like that. GB's OL didn't do Rodgers many favors early in the season as the hits piled up, but after a decision to switch from a more max protections scheme to a spread offense with quick throws the passing game opened back up and Rodgers found his receivers again.

The GB offense is loaded with talent at the skill positions however they didn't bolster the OL much. Rodgers has the potential to single handedly vault your team into the playoffs, but will his stats help you in the playoffs when GB plays in the cold windy arctic tundra in the final weeks of the season?

3. Drew Brees: Brees is slowly winning fans over with his steady numbers and demeanor leading the Saints to their first title last year, but will he see his first drop off this season? Even Manning and Brady reverted to their statistical averages after their spectacular TD seasons and many QB's face an uphill challenge as defending Super Bowl Champions. As the defending champion, every team is attempting get to the QB and dump Brees to the ground quicker to disrupt the passing game. As a result, the risk increases for injury and a drop off in numbers due to rushed throws, incompletions, fewer big plays, and turnovers. Oh, and Brees lost some key depth along the OL as two time Pro Bowl OT Brown was traded to the Redskins in the offseason.

4. Rivers: The LT era is over. All that remains is Rivers & Gates and the near 30 TDs, 4,000 yards passing, and limited number of INT's. Rookie RB Matthews should fill in nicely for LT, but as the Chargers hit some bumps along the way look for Rivers to pass their way out of it.

5. Brady: Don't count Brady out. Much like a SP two years after Tommy John surgery, Brady's repaired knee should be fine and so should his confidence in it. Welker's return should ease some of the pressure Brady will feel as his intermediate and 1st down receiver returns and allows Moss to do what he does best - run straight down the field for big plays. Look for Brady's 2nd half numbers to exceed the first half (due to Welker). Also, factor in the likes of what some in The DC Sports Page like have called "Fragile" Fred (Taylor at RB) to help stabilize the running game and should bring a balance (run/pass) back to the Pats similar to the earlier parts of the decade.

6. Favre: Favre had one of his best years last year as he eclipsed the 30 TD mark (at 33) while throwing only 7 INTs - while playing for what many believe to be the worst coach in the NFL. Not only did Favre limit his INTs, but developed two young receivers, too. Let's see what another year for the combination of Favre to Rice/Harvin can do.

7. Romo: Barber is older and fighting for playing time with Felix Jones (who has yet to play a full season) and Austin Miles steps into the #1 receiver role. Romo can rack up huge numbers, but with the possibility of so much inconsistency for him to navigate through there remains the possibility for a drop off in numbers. An increase in key decisions and situations will occur for Romo as the team looks to answer many questions at WR & RB.

8. Schaub: Schaub should probably be rated higher after last season's performance, but The DC Sports Page isn't sold yet. When you factor into the equation that last season was also Schaub and Andre Johnson's healthiest season together it makes you question can they both make it through the season together again. Toss in that their Offensive Coordinator left for Washington and their draft pick RB Tate may be lost for the year even before the season started and the signs don't look good for this high risk high reward pick in a draft.

9. Flacco: Comparisons between QB Flacco & Ryan occur frequently as to who's the better QB, but it's not much of a debate when looking at fantasy stats and Flacco now has WR Boldin to throw to which only increases Flacco's fantasy value.

10. Manning: The other Manning is quietly getting his due respect...fantasy wise even after winning a Super Bowl. The Burress era ended as Manning developed two young receivers. Look for Manning, Smith, and Nick's numbers to slightly increase this year.

Most Overvalued:

• Matt Schaub:
It was a break out year for Schaub last season. No joke intended. Schaub made it through the season as did A. Johnson and both benefited. Are you willing to roll the dice again this year? Tate could be gone for the season before it started, Slayton is coming back from neck surgery, and Kyle Shanahan left for Washington.

Most Undervalued:

• Eli Manning:
Eli has another year under his belt developing the Giants young receivers. The Giants may need to rely more on their offense this season and Manning owners could reap the benefit. The only concern would be a lack of balance in the running game (pass/run) as the team must decide who is the primary rb and tailor the plays to the #1 rb.


Deep Sleepers:

Kolb: Kolb has shown he can make the same passes as McNabb, but can he make the same throws after being knocked down repeatedly at the NFL level. McNabb also had the ability to make others look better around him, while Kolb is still growing. Kolb's numbers may tail off as the season progresses and the hits take their toll.

Henne: Miami will continue to be a run first offense but with the addition of Marshall the team now can have a closer run/pass mix of plays pulling some of the safeties away from the line.

One Last Helpful Hint: Don't be the one that waits to be the last person to draft a QB and then finds themselves with one of the worst starting QB's and a bad back up too.

If you draft Schaub, then consider drafting a backup QB much earlier. If you're drafting a QB with injury concerns or a low fantasy producer then pick a back up within the next two rounds before everyone else circles back on drafting reserve QB's. Don't panic and continue to take mediocre receivers that may never start or pan out and take the QB. If you have a Flacco why not turn around two picks later and take Manning to deprive someone else of a talented back up. Why should you have the worst set of QBs in the league.

Also, if you're going to draft a Schaub then you probably shouldn't be taking a flyer on Kolb or Henne because they may soon become your starter.

Avoid taking a QB late as a starter and as a reserve to sure up voids at other reserve positions. All The DC Sports Page can say is that you'd better have a two top five RB's, one top three WR, and Gates at TE to start with.

Good luck and feel free to send your questions to any of the team here.

If you don't want to hear "whining" then you should stop reading now, otherwise continue at your own peril.

So how many times have you watched a game (or even played in one) where the referee or umpire made a bad call that you felt cost a team a real shot at winning? I'm sure all sports fans have gone through it. And what's the typical response to that? It's the old, "Well it wasn't just that one call. They had plenty of other chances to win the game." or "They should be good enough team so that calls like that don't matter." Well, I'm here to say, "Fiddlesticks!" (It's a family friendly blog. I'm trying to keep it clean here.)

Alright haters, it's time to talk about the NBA playoffs, I may have just lost a majority of the readers, but those who stayed are in for a treat.

May be it's the night owl in me or the fact that I find beauty in a game played by overgrown men with more tattoos than degrees, but I love the NBA playoffs.
To me, nothing beats a 10:30 pm tip-off and more importantly nothing beats listen to Charles Barkley at 1:30 in the morning.
Round one already gave us minor upsets as the Jazz and Spurs overtook the underachieving Nuggets and Mavericks. Is there anything easier to predict than the Mavs choking away another 50 win season in the opening round? NO.
Now the fun begins, round two started on Saturday with the Cavaliers taking game one in their series with the aging Celtics and the final team advanced on Sunday when the Hawks punked the ailing Bucks. Tragically that ends the run for the best battle cry in recent years "FEAR THE DEER".

LAKERS V JAZZ: The Lakers took game one of their second round series over the Jazz, who valiantly fought until the bitter end, but in the end IT'S THE LAKERS!! Don't get too happy Jazz fans, you do have the best point guard in the league in Darren Williams, but you don't have the size to rebound with the Lakers.

Prediction: Lakers in 6 (The New dynamic duo in Utah will give the Lakers everything they have, but it wont be enough. Watch for Ron Artest to give Williams fits)

SPURS V SUNS: Possibly the sexiest series on paper is the rivalry between the Spurs and Suns. Who's older than the Spurs? Well the Suns have Grant Hill who's been around since the dawn of time and is finally healthy, but the Spurs have Tim Duncan who is also getting to the end of an all-star career.

Prediction: Suns in 7 (It's going down to the wire, and these two have no love loss for one another. This is no doubt the series to watch, watch for fights, watch to see whose bench will carry the load and watch to see Amare "posterize" Tim Duncan one more time)

MAGIC V HAWKS: Here is what could be the most exciting series packed with amazing athletes and youth. Can Dwight Howard stay out of foul trouble? Can Mike Bibby guard Jameer Nelson? Will this be Josh Smith's coming out party? It's amazing, on paper this has the potential to be some of the most exciting basketball ever played, but games aren't played on paper.

Prediction: Magic in 5 (I know I know, I said this could be one of the best series around, so why not seven games? Simple the Hawks are terrible on the road and the Magic, who I may remind you are defending Eastern Conference Champs, got better in the offseason. The additions of Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass and Jason Williams puts them way over the top. More importantly Jameer Nelson is the key, if he has a series like he did against the Bobcats then it won't even be close)

CAVALIERS V CELTICS: A difficult series to accurately predict. There are just too many what ifs. Who is a bigger "Drama King" Lebron James and his hurt elbow or Paul Pierce, who once left a game in a wheel chair only to return and win the game? How much of a factor will Shaq and Jamison be? The only thing that is almost sure to happen is that at some point Labron will drive the lane and taste nothing but Hardwood. The Celtics aren't afraid on the Cavaliers, but that wont matter at all if no one can guard the MVP.

Prediction: Cavaliers in 6 (Lebron finally has a decent supporting cast and that in the end will be the game changer in the series. Jamison only has to have 1-2 good games to have a huge impact in this series and if you remember not long ago Jamison played well as a Wizard in Boston. Boston will try their best to compete in this series, but they are just too old in a game league led by young guns, like MVP James.

That's it and that's all for the second round of the NBA playoffs. Try to watch a few games, there's only about a month left.

So in the span of about a month, I have given up season tickets to both the Redskins and the Nationals. Before I continue, I should define what I mean by season tickets. To me, it means a plan that includes several games over the course of the season. In the case of the Redskins, it was the entire season. In the case of the Nationals, it was a 20 game plan. There were a number of issues that came up to help to make these decisions. Economy and the performance of the team were common in both, but there were others specific to the teams and sports.

Over the course of my post-college adult life, I have owned or been part of a group that owned tickets to the Redskins, Nationals, Orioles, Capitals, and Terps Men's Basketball. I'm down to just the Terps now. My alma mater holds a great place in my life, and they could be in a losing season...I'll still watch them anytime.

For the Orioles and Capitals, it came to distance and time commitments respectively. Baltimore is not that far, but committing to every Sunday game (and for awhile, several weeknight games as well), just wasn't great. The nail in the coffin for the Orioles was when the Nationals arrived in town. The Capitals are a great ticket to have, but my work got in the way and I just could not commit to any games ahead of time to justify keeping those tickets.

The Nationals was easy. The 20 game plan was not onerous. We even actually split the tickets so I was only obligated to about 10 games a season. But in reality, why should I prepay for games they decide I should buy when I can show up on virtually any gameday, 10 minutes before first pitch to buy the exact same seats and probably have a 90% chance of getting them? It sounds harsh, and I'm becoming what the team does not need...a fan who barely spends money on them. Note to the Lerners, I'm probably not the only one.

The Redskins was much tougher, yet was easily justifiable. I once had season tickets in the upper level for a couple of seasons during the Norv Turner era. Then I had given up until a friend decided he was interested in getting premium seats (lower level). So for the past few seasons, we have been 20-30 rows from the field, in the end zone, cheering on those fans. This past season, we were upgraded to the club level to test out the seats there. But ultimately, it was not enough to keep our interest. Besides some personal issues, the Redskins simply don't have the draw any longer. The price was not justified and while the fan experience there is great, watching games on TV is almost as good as being there. After you weigh in parking, getting there, and the simple hassle of possibly not sitting an entire half, it was too easy a thing to drop.

One day, I hope to reacquire some of these tickets. I may sound like a fair weather fan, but a dozen or so Terps games is plenty. Add in the occassional ticket I'll be purchasing as a one-off game for all these teams, I'll still end up going to 25 or so sporting events live each year. Which means I'll essentially creating my own season plan.

George Michael, the longtime former Sports Anchor for WRC4, passed away this morning as first reported by DCRTV via Twitter. He was 70 and died of cancer. Pictured here at a panel discussion, courtesy of FLICKR user The SABR Office.

Michael and the late Glenn Brenner were the face of DC sports reports since the 1980's. Michael started and hosted the George Michael Sports Machine, a Sunday late night wrap up show that was the alternative to those of us who did not have cable and access to ESPN's SportsCenter. You can't help but wonder what he might have done for ESPN. Some criticized him for being too close to the teams he covered. True, that he was always at Redskins Park the day after games interviewing coaches, owners, and players. And he helped the Washington Wizards as he promoted the contest for the name change from the Bullets.

Beyond the major sports, he was also a champion of the secondary or side sports. NASCAR, hotrod racing, bull riding, even wrestling were always covered on the Sports Machine. Even his nightly sports reports featured these sports. There were dog races in the halls of the NBC studios in Washington every year, thanks to George Michael. Last year at this time, we discussed his final departure from WRC4. At the time, it seemed the end of an era in sports reporting in the DC area. Today marks the complete end. Thanks for the memories.

The DC Sports Page is undergoing a slight re-design.

More articles will be coming shortly...

This is a little bit out of the norm for us at the DC Sports Page. Assistant General Manager Bryan Oringher of Bethesda Big Train Baseball let us know about a great event in Wednesday night. Bethesda Big Train is on a mission to improve youth baseball. On Wednesday July 22, they will have DC Sports Journalist All-Star Night. Scheduled to appear are Tim Kurkjian, Dan Steinberg, Brett Haber, and Dan Hellie, among others. Sounds like a great night to spend in Bethesda. The flyer for the event can be found here.

Bethesda Big Train has a Twitter account to follow to keep up on the action with the league.

So recently we've heard about Twitter creeping into the professional sports world. Charlie Villenueva of the Milwaukee Bucks tweeted about his play and how he has to step up. Shaquille O'Neal actually twitters away at all times of the day. OK, really night. You can follow Shaq at @THE_REAL_SHAQ. The amazing part is that he does a bunch of it from his Crackberry Blackberry.

There are also a few parodies of front office people. Like your hockey? Follow Brian Burke or Bob Gainey. For a local twist, Vinny Cerrato is waiting for you.

If you did not already know, you can follow @thedcsportspage for some live commentary. We tweet often.

As the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins, this simple question needs to be asked: what are the highest seeded teams in this year's field? The answer is Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut: the teams seeded number one. The teams seeded number 16 are the lowest seeds in the tournament. This may seem as obvious to you as it does to me, but some people, such as tonight's PTI guest Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, seem to be confused by this. Just because the number 16 itself is mathematically greater than the number 1 does not mean that a 16 seeded team is higher than a team seeded number 1.

After nearly three decades, George Michael and WRC-TV, NBC 4 are finally set to part ways permanently. Last week, as first reported by DCRTV, Michael (not the singer) was informed by management that his contributions to NBC 4 sports, in the form of weekly interviews of Jim Zorn, the weekly Redskins Report panel show, and offseason related show Full Court Press would no longer be needed after this season.

"To boldly go where no man has gone before" was the opening line in the original Star Trek series. This is how The Sports Freak felt while venturing out for what was to be some light shopping for the first time ever on Black Friday. Big Money Tony entertained notions of shopping at 5 AM, but ultimately decided later in the day would be a better time. After constant prompting by Tony to replace a camera, I ventured out sometime before noon. Expecting to find swarms of people, bustles of packages falling and being taken off of shelves, and the noise of such a large volume of shoppers in stores only part of this was true. Mental preparation is a vital part in sports and as such I was prepared for the high contact sport of shopping on Black Friday. The list was short and so was the misson.

On a cold and blistery Friday night, it's a movie fan's worst dilemma to decide between multiple good action movies. HBO has just started showing the original Predator with Arnold and Carl Weathers. While on the Encore networks the original Robocop is on along with Sudden Death and Jean Claude Van Damme. Two 1980s classic action flicks and Die Hard at the Stanley Cup Finals with JCVD and Powers Booth.

Eri Yoshida, 16, was drafted by Kobe 9 Cruise in the Japanese League Talking Baseball. Wakefield's knuckle ball pitch inspired Eri to give baseball a chance. This is proof of the power of tv and video as it can translate and inspire someone thousands of miles away. Interesting to see if she can hit as good as she pitches at the professional level.

The ESPN Zone seems like a great place to go to watch a sporting event or even kill some time waiting for an event. The later was what transpired this past Saturday night. Bruce Campbell was premiering his new movie at the Landmark Theater downtown Bruce Campbell.

Bruce was scheduled to talk before the movie and take Q&A afterwards for the 7 & 10 shows. The Landmark's website was down and their phone number wouldn't connect you to a live operator. After traveling via a weekend metro schedule, Big Money Tony and I arrived on the scene only to find the show sold out. We decided to bite the bullet and catch Bruce before the midnight show without the Q&A after the show because Bruce likes his sleep.

At Cole Field House last night, the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism and the Colonnade Society of the University of Maryland hosted a 3rd Annual Shirley Povich Symposium. This year's topic was Race and Sports Journalism. I was lucky to be in attendance. The panel was moderated by Maury Povich of tabloid show fame and Kevin Blackistone, Povich Chair at the Merrill College. Michael Wilbon, Gary Williams, Sage Steele, Scott Van Pelt, and Len Elmore rounded out the panel. George Solomon, former Washington Post writer, ESPN Ombudsman, and current professor at Maryland, was in attendance as well. The discussion started with a mention of President-Elect Barack Obama. While historic, it does not mean the end of the race discussion in America.

Those who don't know who Shirley Povich was should know that he was a great sports columnist for the Washington Post for over 60 years. He died one day after writing his last column in 1998. He was the father of Maury, the night's moderator and David, an attorney.

Pardon the Interruption, but I'm Big Money Tony. This show has to be one of best in sports, if not all talk/news. Airing at 5:30 ET on ESPN every weekday, it may not be a ratings hog, but it has a raging fan base. It celebrated it's 7 year anniversary yesterday. I still remember a few years ago while watching March Madness at the Sports Freak's place, during the break of games, we turned on PTI. He and others there couldn't stand it because the "Z" team as TSF referred to them, of Michael Smith and Jay Marriotti were in substituting as hosts. I said its not a problem, I'll watch when I get home. They looked at me like I was nuts. But I think thats how many PTI fans are.

Thursday's episode shows why Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon are more than just talking heads. In the regular segment "Role Play", which has been on for years, they brought more than the normal levity. Opening the segment, Mr. Tony asked Wilbon what his word was. Wilbon replied "Butterscotch. That's my safe word". It was really funny after the couple of happy hour drinks I had last night.

Earlier in the same episode, they had Hines Ward in the "Five Good Minutes" interview section. When asked about the "bounty" on him, Ward just held up a sign. "Guys, this is the NFL policy on bounties. If the camera can zoom in..." Even the players love the show.

Congrats to the PTI staff on their anniversary. It's on at a terrible time, but if you have a DVR, it is a must record daily.

On the Monday October 13, 2008 edition of Pardon The Interruption (PTI), host Tony Kornheiser wore a University of Pennsylvania baseball cap during the entire show. Kornheiser's son, Michael, is a student at Penn and competes on the school's golf team.

Can anyone bring a smile to your face and such laughter from an article or radio show? Big Money Tony gave me a lift home from work last week. As we were talking Bill Simmons podcast from last Thursday was playing in the background. My keen sense and "Heroes" like ability to hear something funny within my surrounding area sounded off.

Bill Simmons was talking with a friend and discussing an interview that occurred in baseball with two Dodger's players. One of the players was Manny translating for the player being interviewed. After the player spoke in two languages off and on, the two Dodgers laughed and ran off. Simmon's commented how funny it is that the interviewer was fooled by two of the dumber players in baseball. How often do you do you hear a comment like that?

By this time Big Money Tony and I were solely focused on Simmons. He had since switched to another topic and with the debates quickly approaching a more timely political focus portion of the show.

No matter how many little two second “snippets” of banter between the hosts that they add during commercials of Pardon The Interruption (PTI), I am still going to skip over the commercials (and the snippets) when I watch the show on my DVR.

You might be reading this and checking the calendar. It's early September, what's the reason for hockey news. Well, this the very first time, and possibly the last time I'll discuss women's hockey. Bulgaria lost 82-0 in European Olympic pre-qualifying to Slovakia. Even worse, they were outshot 139-0. That's kinda impressive...their goalie(s) stopped 47 shots. Some NHL teams would take that. Well, I guess not the 82 that got by.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Bulgarians will not qualify.

After being on special project assignment at the day job, a crashed laptop, and a vacation the sports freak is back. There are plenty of items to catch up on from the home run derby to the skins and nats trades to looking at the upcoming season of hockey and football. So let's get started!

On Pardon The Interruption, what seems to be an annual vacation during the month of July for hosts Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon appears to have begun this week, starting today June 30. While there is no official word that the two regular hosts usually take most of the month of July off, I’d be surprised to see them together again for another four or five weeks. I hope that Bob Ryan can continue to fill in and that they don’t have to resort to using Patrick McEnroe like they did last year.

There's never really a time when sports can't permeate its way into your viewing pleasure. Never was this more apparent than when Big Money Tony and I caught up and watched Vacancy. It's more of a scary suspense rather then a true horror movie. Now for those that don't wish to know how the movie plays out this is your opportunity to wait like the Olympic Results during the news and for all other please feel free to click below.

Last Thursday McDonalds gave away their new McChicken sandwich for free with purchase of a drink. I stopped by for lunch near where I work. I couldn't help but think how professional athletes have had run ins with the law and even brandished a weapon in the back of McDonalds. I'm happy to report that I didn't bump into Marcus Vick or Maurice Clarett.

No, not me, Big Money Tony. Tony Kornheiser accepts a buyout from the Washington Post. He of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption and Monday Night Football. Also less known for his radio show on 3WT Radio, which is one of my "go to" radio shows even though I live and die on the iPod. In previous versions of the radio show, I blasted the show, which in hindsight, I was blasting that radio station. Even possibly less known about Mr. Tony is that he is a regular panelist on Full Court Press, a local show hosted by former sportscaster George Michael (not the singer) and also his more than occasional stints on the Redskins Report, also host by the same George Michael on WRC4.

To follow up on the initial story of Feel The Power, I had taken a trip to Orlando a little over a week ago and when I looked for towels to dry my hands I noticed something. I didn't see any towels, but what I did find was the competitor. The dryer isn't as strong or fast as Feel The Power. I guess now we know why the name fits, because anything less wouldn't be powerful enough.

As the NFL Draft approaches on April 26th, scouts may want to take a greater look in the DC Metro area. I happened to be taking the metro to work this week and found myself sitting on the outer seat in one of the older model cars. The woman in the single seat across from me moved her legs aside as did I in order to allow a woman into the inner seat. She then proceeded to bang me in the head with one of her two huge bags, talk loudly on the phone, and then spread her legs apart to max capacity to use them like a table as she placed her enormous bags on top of them.

As I continued to angle my body towards the aisle to create more space as I read the paper, she scraped up every inch I gave her. She must have thought this was a three legged race at a picnic. This ride to work should have been videotaped by Walsh and submitted to the commissioner. The illegal contact during the game was greater than the total number of fouls in the classic Bulls Knicks playoff series.

There were so many neutral zone infractions and encroachments that I had lost count before my ride was even half over. Her medium size umbrella attached in the pocket of the smaller bag occasionally jabbed her neighbor across from her as she moved. Finally as she stood up and left the car, I felt as if I was free and could breathe easier. I mentioned this to the woman in the single seat who essentially said that woman was awful and that she felt cramped and crowded too.

"21" the movie adaptation of Bringing Down the House about a group of MIT students taking down casinos in black jack for millions of dollars should score big in the box office. The recent explosion of poker on tv and in movies has even spawned a black jack tv show. The thirst for the quick fix and gambling bug should have this movie raking it in with a solid story and stellar performances by Lawrence Fishbourne and Kevin Spacey.

As I was watching one of my HD channels, one of my favorite recent sports movies was on TV. How can you not watch Roy Hobbs come through in the clutch? He could have been the best there ever was if not for Barbara Hershey.

March is a perfect time where college basketball/basketball and the grapefruit leage in MLB intersect. The NFL draft isn't far behind in April, so you can plug in Rudy or Brian's Song anytime. This started me thinking what are some of the best sports movies in recent years.

My doctor happens to be located near my folks and as I recovered at my folks place from the flu and sinus bug that's been going around with a fever as high as 103.4 I came across a PBS advertisement for the show Nature. I typically don't scan through PBS at home because it's not in the path of my usual sequence of channels that I scan that does include HiDef PBS but not low def. Believe it or not my folks don't have cable. The show would be about Polar Bears, as well as, how the grizzly is infringing on the polar bear's territory. I couldn't help but think that this would be a good show to watch and really see who would win in that showdown.

This prompted a conversation at the end of the work day with my boss. He firmly believed that a polar bear would win. Another co-worker stopped by before leaving so we asked him and as he thought the question was out of the blue he replied I don't know I guess polar bear. Well after searching on the information super highway and sifting through rumors and blogs my boss said...well before I reveal the answer I'll let everyone ponder this question. Please imagine some fine elevator music playing in the background. Much like the Olympics, please don't click any further if you don't wish to know the results.

It was the end of August as Stu, BMT, Q, & I were driving down to Charlotte, NC where our 2007 Keeper Fantasy Football Draft was held. Every year twelve of us get together for a weekend at one FFL Owner's house for draft weekend festivities that have included in the past such items as a grill out, pool, Phillies Game, Pat's & Gino's Cheesesteak, Tony Luc's, all night poker, a bachelor party, minor league baseball, Chinese food cooked by a fabulous chef, and Sonny's sweet bbq.

Somehow along the long drive out of Virginia traffic on a Friday night we stopped for gas and stopped in to use the restrooms. This was not the cleanest of stations, so when Stu went in first and I heard some extremely loud leaf blowing machine or something emanating loudly from the restroom for nearly a minute I wanted to yell - Stu are you ok?!

Some people might not consider chess a sport. I'm borderline on it, but I think Bobby Fischer is important enough to justify a short entry. He passed away today, in Iceland. His last few years seemed to be off.

This isn't the American Gladiators that you remember from the '80s. In the very first event one of the contestants was knocked down so hard by a gladiator that her knee buckled. She went down and was down for the competition. A substitute was brought in to finish the show.

With so much occuring in sports recently such as the NFL Playoffs, Patriots going undefeated, the BCS, college basketball, and steroids in baseball, a story about an athlete banned for allegedly using cocaine hit the wire ESPN/AP Story. This report seems shocking when considering the sport and drug involved. Also of note was a quote by Hingis within the article, "I believe that I am absolutely, 100 percent innocent."

Happy Holidays to all! Looking forward to a great new year. Just to let you know, we will be posting new entries when appropriate, and reading comments through the holidays. Special upcoming reports will include...

Is there anything that the sports media makes a bigger fuss over nothing about than a guarantee of victory from a player? Is it really so bold for a player to say that he thinks his team will win a game? If the players don't have the confidence and belief in their mind that they can win a game then they have already lost. So why does the media make such a big deal about it when a player expresses this confidence publicly? Does the other team really believe that it is disrespectful to think that their opponents believe they will win, or does the media simply want them to believe that in order to drum up a story for the pre-game coverage?

Last night after Monday Night Football, Kenny Mayne and Scott Van Pelt were anchoring the Sports Center Desk.

Welcome to the DC Sports Page. We created this site to discuss sports in general, with a concentration on DC area based or related teams. But that will not stop us from discussing sports from any area.

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BMT and the Sports Freak