While You are Sleeping - NFL Network Pre-Game Show

There are very few reasons to be up early on a Sunday morning. One big reason, if you are an NFL fan, is to watch NFL Networks early morning show First on the Field. The show airs from 7am-9am on the NFL Networks and features Former running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and co-hosts Sterling Sharpe (former Wide Receiver) and Melissa Stark (Monday Night Football and Today Show). The show has a good mix of entertainment and information for the days games each week. Fresh off the field Thomlinson gives a good feel from a players perspective and Sharpe has been doing these pre-game shows since his retirement and has earned a role as a host/co-host while still bringing the ability to break down plays and games. Just about every network has their own version of a pre-game preview show and this one ranks right there with the best of them. What sets it apart is the ability of Melissa Stark as the host and helps guide the ship. Knowledgeable, skilled and attractive...a deadly combination. 

No other Pro football show features a female host which sets First on the Field apart from any of the competing shows. Erin Andrews (Dancing with the Stars and formerly ESPN) is the host for FOX's NCAA Football show on Saturday Nights and also does a good job on that program. 

Stark, who worked on Monday Night Football in the early 2000's left that gig to focus on family. Since then she has done some work on the Today Show. Stark brings a nice balance of classic journalism and can control the show in her role as co-host, but also offers great football knowledge to the show. Her ability to deliver either insight or statistics while keeping it entertaining is a remarkable and it proves to be in that role. Now it must be noted that she also possesses the other skills that helps one on the television excel as well. There is a reason that some people are just better in other mediums. There is a reason for that old saying "a face for radio". The television is a visual medium and like it or not looks count. There is no denying that she is stunningly beautiful and probably possesses the most stunning pair of legs since Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight (and she reportedly had each insured for $1 Million each, so $2 Million total). If that doesn't keep you tuned in and willing to get up to watch who knows what is.

Storming The Banks Of Lake Minnetonka

Not unlike Sports Illustrated who ran a cover that said 100% Favre Free Issue, I hope that this is one of the few postings that I will have to make regarding Brett Favre. I hope that everyone enjoyed my little song that I wrote a week ago.

Who said that the Circus isn’t alive and well? To prove that look no further then Brett Favre back in the NFL with Minnesota ...Shocking! Does anyone remember the story of the boy who cried wolf? Clearly no one in the media does. To any of those who thought that he was actually going to walk away and not play this year were either in denial or delusional. This guy for the last, probably 4 years has played the same game with the media and played out his decision for as long as he could. Do I blame Brett for not knowing if he wanted to play or not, NO. Do I blame Brett for waiting so long every year, NO. Do I blame the media for continually bringing up rumors and speculation about a potential return, ABSOLUTELY. Everyone should have learned long ago that with this guy believe it when you see it. Just don’t bother to speculate, don’t guess, just don’t give it any lip service. It does no one any good.

Now I am not going to let Brett off the hook. The way that he has handled things throughout his "later years" has been for lack of a better term unsavory. Just say your body takes longer to recover and your not sure if you can do it or that training camps are too much then we are ok. Just don’t insult the media, the fans and the league by standing at a podium twice and announcing in a tearful speech how you are retiring and you know the time is right, if there is doubt let it be known, enough with the dog and pony show. He could have saved face and not come out looking like a douche had he just been a little more up front and honest.

Nothing is much worse then his latest press conference when he was talking about his daughter and how she told him to go out a win one more Super Bowl. I find this all a little over the top, you can use the family to spin things but even this is a little over the top. It isn’t a Disney movie and he is not Denis Quaid (I’m sure that it will be soon after he actually retires in 3-5 years). That whole thing was a series of, I don’t want to say lies but lets say untruths. The time lines about calls and contracts was very transparent. The only people I feel worse for then the fans and the public were the 2 would be Vikings QB’s John David Booty, Tarvaris Jackson, and Sage Rosenfels. They were the true victims and it would have been nice if the Management and the coaches treated them like professionals.

All that is left now is to see how his arm holds up and place bets on how long until he shows up on an upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars.

Shots From The Point

Mats Sundin says he has no regrets over his decision to play for the Vancouver Canucks and has yet to decide if he wants to return next year to play or not. He said that it wouldn’t be a money issue if he were to return to play.
Just like last year that money wasn’t an issue and then signed for a pro-rated $8+ million. He better make up his mind in a more timely fashion this year. It took a long time just to get close to game pace and game shape let alone be a serviceable player. Between him and Brett Favre, retirement questions have just become insufferable.

Greg Paulus is returning home to give football one final shot. Paulus will battle for QB job at Syracuse for the Orange. The former point guard for Duke is a former 2 sport star in High School.
Paulus is jeopardising advancing his career as an NFL QB by going to the ‘Cuse and not Michigan, where he was rumoured to go. Everyone knows that the Michigan pedigree for QB’s is legend....wait for it....ary!!!

MLB’s replay policy has taken down the first 2 home runs following a review. Adam LaRoche and Ross Gload both had home runs taken off the board.
"If I could have bet the day this started, I would have put a lot of money on myself to be the first," LaRoche said after the game.
I am all for getting the call right for Home Runs and have no problem with the replay system. I just don’t want to see them on ball/strikes or base calls for the same reason that the steroid issue matters more in baseball then football. It becomes a matter of purity, numbers and history. It is the human element that helps make the game great.

Former Dancing with the Stars contestant and one time decent football player has fox-trotted his way back to the Miami Dolphins. Jason Taylor is set to rejoin the Dolphins for 1 year, at $1.5 million, far less then his past salaries.
I guess Parcells believes that Taylor may actually want to play football again and not go Hollywood just yet and has brought him back to Miami. At his well reduced rate if he is a bust it will be easy to throw him back into the sea.