Eric Kay

I ran into LaDainian Tomlinson at a British pub Sunday around 4 PM. He was looking great, smiling, enjoying some wine and food with his owner. I heard he had regained his mojo, but I hadn't expected this.

Normally running into an ex-Fantasy player wouldn't have been a big deal, but the wounds were stiill fresh. You see, LT and I had what you could call a tumultous relationship for little more than seven weeks.

I drafted him No. 1 overall despite recognizing what I thought were danger signs. I knew about his age, track record, sprightly understudy and Campbell's Chunky Soup connections but I bit anyway. There's just something so attractive about 115 rushing touchdowns. You think, I can be a part of 130 rushing touchdowns by the end of the season.

But the honeymoon ended around Week 4 in Miami. I stopped depending on him as my rock and I got testy as other owners started calling about his availability.

But I stood pat. I said to myself, "LT will change, he'll get back to the old LT the world knows." I even consulted my parents one Sunday morning, who both recommended that I stay committed to LT, that he'll come through.

But I kept reading articles, some by our own counselors of Fantasy grief, and I said enough is enough, particularly after seeing this in my most trusted source for Fantasy relationship advice, Cosmo:

"You won’t regret breaking up with a guy you’re feeling unsure about."

And that's what I did. I broke up with LT. I sent him packing, along with Marvin Harrison, for what I pegged as equivalent goods in Matt Forte and Vincent Jackson.

Then LT goes and accumlated 165 total yards and a touchdown across The Pond. Figures, you dump somebody and they go backpacking in Europe and have the time of their life.

On top of that ...

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... LT vs. Turner

For those who don't know, I have a bet with a Toledo lawyer. I said Michael Turner would trump LT in three statistical categories throughout the course of the season. If he does, I get a hand-delivered bottle of still-undetermined scotch.

Name | 100-yard rushing games | rushing yards | total touchdowns

Michael Turner | 3 | 655 yards | 6
LaDainian Tomlinson | 2 | 551 | 5

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

In Love with the Game, Mom's View examines the Steelers loss to the Giants and uh, Bruce Arians, you, uh, may, uh want to check out this memo.


The Rams' first trip to Gillette Stadium didn't end well, but Showtime points out the emergence of Donnie Avery, who simply went off vs. the Patriots Sunday.

Shawn Rogers played stout trench defense. Derek Anderson is once again Houdini and the Browns played a good first half. Then there's Steve Heiden, who vs. the Jags, made From the Eyes of Jelly Donut think there's still hope in Cleveland after its 23-17 against Jacksonville.

In Act 2, Scene II of The Cleveland Browns Story, Derek Anderson once again reprises his role of Bernie Kosar and Shaun Rogers stars as "Aloha," which I'm told means hello, as in hello to the Browns' chances to take back their season. The Thoughts of a Gentledawg breaks down the big win.

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Klick of the Day

Finding a fellow brain-muncher can be hard in this day and age

Like running a marathon or driving an EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle into the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, life is full of checkpoints.

Some are formal occasions, like a Bar Mitzvah, graduation or wedding.

Some are informal occasions, like a first smooch, first pint of Guinness and eventual first relapse.

Some are inevitable occasions, like going bald or losing a pet.

(What daaaaaayaaaaa mean fish need food?!)

Then there are checkpoints where one must decide, what am I really about? And by that I mean jerseys. Namely, when do I stop wearing them? Not when do I stop wearing a jersey to the mall or to the beach, but when do I stop wearing a jersey altogether? When does the jersey cease to be a staple of my wardrobe?

This my friends, is our Weekend Debate.

Let's begin with an expert on the subject, Jay-Z.

In the fall of 2004, the rapper-cum-NBA owner told Time, "you can't be running around in jerseys when you're 30 years old."

That's a good place to start. A nice clear-cut number. Three decades into one's existence wearing a jersey becomes unacceptable.

Imagine the possibilities if this, in fact, were a rule. Being 29 and 364 days old would have new meaning. It would be like being 20 and 364 days old, but instead of doing 21 shots you'd try to squeeze on 30 jerseys. Not at once, I'd imagine.

But there are other voices to be heard. A 20-something CBS video producer in L.A. (by way of Connecticut) says, "late '30s, but keep in mind, I'm getting buried in my Red Sox uniform."

A self-described fellow curmudgeon like me and editor here at CBSSports.com says, "It's never acceptable for a grown man to wear a jersey." Another said, "I don't own one." (He actually just sold his [and what was only] custom TrailBlazers jersey on EBay to somebody in Japan. Yes, somebody across the world just purchased a Portland jersey with a random guy's name on the back.)

I move too fast. Some quick background: This all got started while watching ESPNews and seeing Dick Vitale adorning a Rays jersey while being interviewed.

Now Vitale predates America's entrance in World War II, Watergate and Twitter. But there he was, in alopecia glory, sporting a baseball jersey on a cable sports network.

Let's speed back up. There are two types of jersey wearers: those sporting a jersey with a real player's name on the back and those with anything else. We'll classify those with blank jerseys as leaning toward the former and those with nicknames or funny sayings on their back as leaning toward the latter. But they are clearly sub-sects of the two jersey genera and not their own.

Our assistant managing editor says, "Only player names on the back." I say, "Not a big deal either way." He says, "You're an idiot."

Maybe so.

But here are my thoughts on jerseys. Basketball, football and hockey jerseys are no dice for grown-ups. Basketball jerseys are meant to be worn without anything on underneath, and the public doesn't need to see that much skin or arm pit hair. Football and hockey jerseys were meant to be worn with pads, so unless you have a hecukva set of traps, you're probably not filling out the apparel. In short, you look silly wearing a synthetic nylon top with jeans. The worst offenders are people who dress in suits or slacks and a shirt and head to the NBA arena after work with a jersey on top of their Brooks Brothers oxford.

(I'll also add, and this has since been touched upon below, that wearing the name of another human being on your back [particularly somebody younger than yourself] is a bit awkward. Wearing another human being's name on your back represents a sort of adulation of somebody's talents or persona [as expressed below in the comments] or brand [players as products] you align yourself with. Maybe it's just me, but there are few athletes I feel that strongly about. In this current sports atmosphere I align myself with organizations, not players, more often than not and I tend to find that few athletes are well-rounded enough human beings to want to show my respect for by wearing their name on my back.)

I'll leave you with my thoughts on baseball jerseys. I think they fly no matter how old or young you are. Baseball jerseys are only jerseys in the loosest sense of the word. Most of the time they are cotton (or polyester), feature buttons and a collar. In short, for a big slice of the population, it's an upgrade from the normal day-to-day attire.

Enough from the news desk, if you feel strongly about wearing jerseys regularly you should probably go enroll in Madden Nation. Or share your thoughts if you're inclined. 

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

How do seven NCAA tournament selections sound? That's what the ACC is receiving, according to the Sports Report. The blogger breaks down the fates of all the teams in college basketball's best conference.

If you're impressed with the start of Matt Ryan's career, you're not alone (I sure am). View from The Branch... compares the Falcons rookie's stats with 10 other premier quarterbacks, and you'll be surprised with how Ryan stands out. One QB not on the list, to my shock, was Ben Roethlisberger.

The game is surrounded by hype, which is why In Love with the Game, Mom's View is here to put some perspective behind Sunday's matchup of Giants-Steelers.

Mike Nolan became the latest head coach to lose his job midseason. Toxic Talk breaks down the other candidates, from Herm to Mangini, who could be out of work before the season ends.

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Klick of the Day

Andy Samberg and Terry Tate both encourage you to vote

As someone who spent around 40 percent of his life in the higher education ranks, I've noticed that sometimes life's lessons come at you from anywhere -- movies (Road House), elders (assistant managing editors), and in last night's case, Game 1 of the World Series. I picked up 14 of these, and if there's any that forever changed your life, do share.

1. I learned my iPhone can grow up to be anything it wants to be
2. DirecTV is so good, it can lampoon a National Lampoon's movie 
3. Carl Crawford doesn't care much about what the Phils pitching coach has to say
4. One dare not ask Joe Maddon about the Utley Shift on Wednesday nights
5. When talking about the great sports slate for Philadelphians this Sunday, it's best to show an image of Big Ben and Eli Manning
6. The Chevy Traverse, not a high-paying job, beautiful wife and never-boring life, is what I've always wished for.
7. Cole Hamels has a tremendous chin
8. Jason Bartlett's base-stealing skills made every college student very happy today.
9. The sixth inning is no time to challenge the balk pickoff abilities of Cole Hamels
10. Cole Hamels has a tremendous chin
11. The back seats of a Chrysler Town 'n' Country is a good place to play Jenga
12. The last time I got caught driving the speed of Grant Balfour's fastball, I received a hefty moving violation
13. Sadly, Vince Vaughn is now to Christmas Movies what Will Smith is to summer blockbusters
14. Carlos Ruiz is the master of handling what Tim McCarver likes to call,"balls in the dirt."

Trivia:
What was the song to the Verizon "Game Recap?"

Answer:
Why it was Widespread Panic's "Someimes."

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

"Two bits , four bits, six bits, a dollar, all for the Gators, stand up and Holler!" Mr. Two Bits, the man who created the cheer, is calling it quits after Florida takes on the Citadel. The Greek Speaks pays homage.

Michael Waltrip will be just the second racer to reach 1000 starts. NASCAR UPDATES pays homage to the driver who some consider a clown, and others a legend.

From "Junie's Black Belt Loogie" to "The 'Non' Stand-Up," 'The Ultimate Fighter 8' Blog breaks down the key points to remember in The Ultimate Fighter 8 History.

They're two of the better mid-major conferences, but Dantheman4250's Sports Blog says the Horizon may have a down season while The Wiz's Blog reports the Missouri Valley is as good as always.

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Klick of the Day

 

  Clarence Carter's 1991 video kept us entertained in the newsroom this morning

You've noticed this person before. Maybe you are this person. Maybe you have your own person.

Maybe I'm this person to you.

This person drive me nuts.

(Eric, we've been down this road before. More people drive you nuts than don't)

True, but this particular person falls into a nice category -- people at the gym who drive Eric nuts or PAGDEN.

Today's PAGDEN is NoFormusFemalus.

Habitat: A structured class, possibly kickboxing, boxing or some sort of cardio.

You may notice her ... at the front of the class, at the front of a jog, at the front of any exercise involving getting from point a to point b to point c.

What drives her nuts: Uncertainty. Not knowing if it's 30 crunches or 35 sends her world into chaos, and her...

...Distinguishing habits: Sacrificing form for speed. If the task is 20 curls, she'll race through those 20 by ignoring things like extending the biceps fully, or breathing.

Co-habituating with NoFormusFemales means listening to her complain about the pace of the class and why things are so easy.

(Eric, it sure is amazing how easy things are when you don't give a damn about actually doing the task at hand, ain't it?)

That's how I get through work! Ba-zing.

The deal with NoFormusFemales is she's all about fitness. But she puts more emphasis on the destination than the journey. Watching somebody do that drives me nuts.

Who drives you nuts at the gym? Next Tuesday we'll have another PAGDEN.

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

Tony Allen says he's better than James Posey, and if he's right he'll confirm why he's one of The Eye of the HurricaneDij's 5 NBA Role Players to Watch.

Last week it was Whoever the guy who tells Mike Nolan to challenge plays is. This week it's Cowboys owner Jerry Jones receiving Tarkus Malarkus' Corner's Idiot of the Week Honor.

How does 7-4 and 4-4 in the Big XII sound to Huskers fans? We Believe expects that to be how the cookie crumbles in year one of Bo Pellini.

Jeremy Shockey and Mike Tyson have a lot in common -- surrogate father figures, bat tempers, poor judgement -- according to The Blue Streak. It's a tremendous history lesson and insightful read about the Saints tight end.

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Klick of the Day

A simple "I object" would do

The League suspended Pacman Jones for at least four games and now Jerry Jones is the bad guy who gave Pacman the chance the cornerback never should have gotten.

I don't get it.

Forget whatever Pacman did.

How is Jones in the wrong here? He took a chance on an uber-talented kid, put in the proper safeguards and it backfired. It happens everyday all around us. People in Vegas take chances. Drivers take chances going through an intersection with a yellow light. We're bailing out a financial institution that took the wrong chances.

That's what life is about. Taking chances. And now we're railroading Jones for rolling the dice in a calculated manner?

You don't think Jones is taking this the hardest? He put his reputation on the line for Pacman. He thought he would be the one to reform. It didn't happen. And now Jones is the bad guy for trying.

When did we become so hard on people who see the slimmer of good in talented, yet troubled, people? This wasn't the Bengals bringing in troubled personnel year in and out and doing little when things got out of control. This was a stable franchise with a few hotspots. It has a big-mouthed receiver, a gun-loving defensive tackle and a cornerback bankrupt of commonsense. Everywhere else were, for the most part, stand-up people and players.

But Jones, realizing that talent wins championships, apparently sold his soul bringing Pacman in. That's how we're seeing this. He ruined his good thing. No, you set up the good thing so you can absorb a talented malcontent or two. That's the way the NFL is.

Pacman isn't working out. Big deal, moral police. I hope this doesn't stop him from trying on the next idiot, but talented player that becomes available.

"I'm not going to lie, it's fun. I try to hit home runs and that's it. I'm not going to hit a single and steal second base. So I think the biggest thing is to get up there, swing hard and elevate."
Matt Stairs' license plate reads: Swng2dng

Matt Stairs' unusual candor leads to a interesting question. With the Rob Deers, Cecil Fielders, Mark Whitens and 40-year-old Matt Stairs are part of a soon-to-be-extinct generation thrill, is there anybody left to pick up the torch?

Chicks dig the long ball and these folks obliged. After all, singles are for vending machines.

The Orioles' Luke Scott is a candidate. Through age 29 he and Stairs share an eerily similar track record. Jack Cust seems like an obvious candidate, particularly coming off a 33 home run, 77 RBI, .231 batting average, 197 strikeout season. But I'm going with an unlikely candidate.

Ryan Ludwick's 37 home runs, 113 RBI, .299 BA and 146 strikeouts matchup well to Stairs' career-best 1999 totals of 38 home runs, 102 RBI .258 BA and 124 strikeouts. Yes, Ludwick is the jewel of the Gateway City's collective eyes, but his relatively high average was .29 points higher than his minors average and .32 points higher than his previous bigs average.

Ludwick had a great '08, and he doesn't look like Stairs, Deer, or Fielder. But just maybe this past season was the last hurrah before the Luddy settles in to a nice career as the poster boy of the long balls club.

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

Bengals bloggers are active these days and Nasty Thoughts has the way to fix the Bengals. Bring in Daunte Culpepper for one. Bench Chris Perry for two. And keep an eye fixed on the future for three.

It was a storybook Monday night for The Thoughts of a Gentledawg's Browns. With a cast of characters including Braylon Edwards as "The Playmaker" and Brandon Jacobs as "Tip-toe McTalksalot"it was theater at its finest. Just don't expect a third act in the Washington suburbs.

Mental lapses, lack of a gameplan and an overall improved Cleveland spelled doom for the Giants. Big Blue Masochist: The Edge of Reason recaps a disastrous Monday night for New York.

Everything tastes and smells better after a Minnesota Wild victory. Don't take my word, take I'll mouth off. You peons will listen.'s. The blogger is back dishing out up quarks (Colton Gillies) and bottom quarks (the great Martin Skoula).

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Klick of the Day

This is not how you do THAT motion

I'm Henry. I'm Edward.

I am my own worst Fantasy enemy.

I have few rules in life (like never buy meat from Icky Woods), let alone Fantasy life. But one Fantasy life rule I subscribe to is, if two players are relatively equal always start the one with the later kickoff time.

What this really means is, if you have players playing on Monday night, activate them. The logic being, it gives you reason to watch the game and players tend to perform slightly better on the national stage.

(Eric, do you have any data to back that last point up?)

Quiet, you.

I ignored my rule, opting to start LeRon McClain instead of Jamal Lewis. McClain registed a solid -1.5 points. I lost by 9 points. So if I hadn't started McClain, I would be down 7.5 points heading into Lewis' matchup with the Giants.

That's doable.

But this is Fantasy life. It's 17 weeks of suddenly relevant Christian Slater. In other words, it's a tortuous existence of being one's own enemy.

The funny thing is, it's not my fault.

Fantasy football puts new meaning in the motto: it's better to be lucky than good.

It would have been better if I simply hit the Top Lineup button on my fantasy team. That's not being good, that's being lucky. Being good is picking the right spot to defy convention. Being lucky is drafting players who stay healthy, having the right waiver position at the right time and hitting the Top Lineup button.

(Eric, here's an idea. You have a half dozen fantasy teams. Chose one and always hit Top Lineup. See how that team does vs. teams you manipulate week in and out.)

Good idea, you.

Anyway, because I spend hours upon hours examining ever minute detail of my roster, activating players on Wednesdays only to put them back on the bench on Wednesday night, then activating them Friday, only to bench them Saturday afternoon, I am my own worst enemy, Fantasy speaking.

I'm not alone. I can't be. I bet you do it too. And you. There's nothing more frustrating than losing with points on the bench. I can take losing. I can take losing a close game. I just can't take losing with points on the bench.

Why? It's the ultimate sign of being one's own worst enemy, which, I've heard once or twice since the Olympics, stars Christian Slater as Henry, and Edward.

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Michael Turner vs. L.T. 

If you recall, I have a bet going with a lawyer buddy in Toledo involving a bottle of at-least-12-year-old scotch. I said Michal Turner would outperform LT in two of the three following categories:

• 100-yard game
• Rushing yards
• Total TDs

Here's the breakdown:

Name | 100-yard games | rushing yards | touchdowns

Michael Turner | 3 | 597 yards | 6
LaDainian Tomlinson | 1 | 405 | 4

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around

Cheerleaders, tradition and fight songs are three of The life and times of...'s reasons why college football trumps the NFL any weekend.

With the window of opportunity all but shut, Iggy Wants Wins -- You Can Keep The Rest looks at the bleak prospect of the Bengals not winning until after their Week 10 bye.

THRASHARD'S ZONE looks at the defense Mike Nolan has built in San Francisco. It's not a pretty site, considering the coach has made most of the personnel decisions, yet still routinely blames on-the-field lapses instead of off-field strategy pitfalls.

The Rams stun my Redskins with a last-seconds boot by Josh Brown from 49 yards out. Showtime examines just went right for the blogger's Rams and what went wrong for my 'Skins.

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Klick of the Day 

Ernest Borgnine shares his secret to long life

Despite their loss Monday night, it's good to be the Saints. It's also good to be the Redskins, heading into Week 6.

Both teams get the NFL equivalent of a gimee putt. If you need a sure-fire pick for a survivor pool, either the Saints or Redskins will do. That's because they get to face teams (Raiders and Tom Cable (pictured); Rams and Jim Haslett) with new head coaches. And if history is any indicator, both teams will prevail vs. their new-look counterparts.

Since 2000 only one team that changed coaches during the season won its game immediately after. That was Detroit in 2000, which featured Gary Moeller taking the reins from Bobby Ross. This is sort of a weird exception to the rule because Ross resigned from a 5-4 team, claiming his players' lack of effort, according to then New York Times writer Mike Freeman. The Lions may not have had Barry Sanders running, but they had a serviceable James Stewart, a wily Charlie Batch and a decent defense anchored by Robert Porcher. Moeller won his first game, beating the Falcons 13-10 at home.

The Lions aside, no other team this decade has won that first game with their oft-labeled interim coach. Not just that, the loses are typically ugly. Eight of the nine games below were losses by double digits. Four times the team with the new coach failed to even crack 10 points. So if you're a gambling lad or lass, or just like hitting friends with a little history lesson, take this obvious knowledge with you: interim coaches, a lot more often than not, suck in their first game.

Of note, both the Raiders and Rams instilled their new coaches during bye weeks. Surprisingly, only one other time this decade has a coach come in during a bye week. That was Jim Bates in Miami.

Here's the breakdown:

2007: Emmitt Thomas takes over for Bobby Petrino in Atlanta in Week 15, loses to the Bucs 37-3. He would finish 1-2.
2005: Joe Vitt takes over for Mike Martz in St. Louis in Week 6, loses to the Colts 45-28. He would finish 4-7.
2004: Jim Bates takes over for Dave Wannstedt in Miami in Week 10, loses to the Seahawks 24-17. He would finish 3-4.
2004: Terry Robiskie takes over for Butch Davis in Cleveland in Week 12, loses to the Bengals 58-48. He would finish 1-5.
2003: Wade Phillips takes over for Dan Reeves in Atlanta in Week 15, loses to the Colts 38-7. He would finish 2-1.
2001: Mike Tice takes over for Dennis Green in Minnesota in Week 17, loses to the Ravens 19-3. He would finish 0-1.
2000: Dick LeBeau takes over for Bruce Coslett in Cincinnati in Week 4, loses to the Ravens 37-0. He would finish 4-9.
2000: Dave McGinnis takes over for Vince Tobin in Arizona in Week 9, loses to the Saints 21-10. He would finish 1-8.
2000: Terry Robiskie takes over for Norv Turner in Washington in Week 15, loses to the Cowboys 32-12. He would finish 1-2.
2000: Gary Moeller takes over for Bobby Ross in Detroit in Week  11, defeats the Falcons 13-10. He would finish 4-3.

It goes without saying that all situations are unique. But because the removing of a coach during the season is such a rare occurrence, it usually takes a particularly dysfunctional scenario for it to unfold. Going from dysfunctional to winning doesn't happen in a season, let alone a week. So if you're a fan of the Redskins or Saints enjoy this Sunday because these opportunities don't come around often.

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On to the best CBSSports.com blogs ... around! 

Sports...and then some. is a big-time MMA follower, and has this to say about Kimbo Slice's Saturday night fiasco:

"He really hadn't earned any respect from the legions of educated MMA fans. Everyone said he would not stand a chance against an even average MMA fighter. That prophecy was revealed last Saturday night when Kimbo was defeated by Seth Petruzelli, a journeyman light heavyweight that wasn't even scheduled to be on TV that night."

MVKrum's Eagles Blog offers up the "best Power Rankings on CBS Sportsline," however, putting the Cowboys at No. 2 may be a bit of a stretch after two lackluster performances.

If you like raw data (who doesn't!?), check out the list Random Thoughts compiled: State per capita population per FBS school.

Rays in six. Dodgers in six. That's what mstrReyes blogs is predicting. Analysis included.

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Klick of the Day 

Have you heard?