So it's one of those days where I have a bunch of random thoughts from the sports world bouncing around my brain, but nothing really worth of writing an entire article on. So I'm going to pass them along to you and give you some things to contemplate as you jump start your weekend.

The 2009 NFL Season:

It's officially underway! Last night's game wasn't exactly riveting, but with those 2 defenses going at it, I guess it wasn't expected to be. Neither team looked particularly overwhelming to me and I don't think we're going to see any teams just destroy everybody in their path this season. That whole parity thing the league so desires is starting to come around more and more.

Fantasy Football:

Yup, a new NFL season means another year of fantasy football, and all the regrets that come with it. I'm in 3 leagues once again this year after telling myself I'd limit it to two, and I even turned down about 4 other offers to join leagues as it turns out. Even the casual football fans who don't live and breathe this stuff seem to be all about getting in on the fantasy action. It took exactly one game for me to already swear at my decision making for my teams as I had Willie Parker (19 yards) starting, and Santonio Holmes (9 receptions, 131 yards, 1 TD) on the bench. It's going to be a looooong year.

Madden Curse:

Tell me this thing isn't real??? Brett Favre has certainly been a curse since last year's cover, but we'll talk more about that in a minute. Last night, Troy Polamalu came out of the gates on fire, seemingly involved in almost every play and making a ridiculous interception as well. Then he goes down with what looks to be a serious knee injury. Preliminary reports have him missing 3-6 weeks. Speaking of fantasy football, owners of Larry Fitzgerald (myself included) reading this right now are cringing at the prospects of what may happen.

Brett Favre:

I seriously can't recall wanting somebody to just go away more than Favre right now. When he originally retired from Green Bay, I had a great deal of respect for him and his accomplishments. I never really was a big fan or anything, because frankly, I just didn't care much about the Packers one way or another. However, that respect has completely diminished at this point and he's quickly become one of my least favorite players in the league. As if the retiring/coming back flip flop saga where he couldn't keep himself out of the spotlight wasn't bad enough, now he's got to make sure even more people are talking about them as we head into the start of the season. Essentially, Favre seems to be blaming the NY Jets as an organization for his absolutely horrendous performance down the stretch last year. Claiming that the team new of his torn bicep muscle and that he "offered" to sit out those last few games.

I guess New York just forced him out on to the field and made him throw those 9 interceptions in the last 5 games... Seriously, if you're legitimately injured and don't think you can play well enough to be out there, then you sit on the bench. Favre never had any intention of this despite what he says now and his streak means way too much to him. Now he's claiming he's not sure he can make it through the entire season this year. Sounds a lot like he just wants a built in excuse for when he inevitably sucks horribly at some point this year. Congrats Vikings, you took a possible playoff team and turned it into a sideshow circus that is going to be a detriment to your organization in the long run.

Allen Iverson:

So Iverson finally signed with Memphis this week, doing so apparently because God told him to. Hey Allen, did God also tell the other 29 teams in the NBA to have absolutely no interest in you? Seriously, I have no clue what Memphis is thinking here. They've struggled for awhile now, but they really do have a good nucleus of young talent in place that just needs to grow a bit and have time to gel together. Iverson undermines all that completely. I've never been an Iverson fan at all, and actually couldn't stand him when he first joined the NBA, but I grew to respect him as he seemed to have matured and unquestionably played hard every night. He's regressing however. Denver got instantly better without him and Detroit imploded with him. Iverson's biggest problem is that he always has a chip on his shoulder. He's 34 now and clearly in decline skill wise after the years of beating he's taken going to the basket relentlessly. There's nothing wrong with that and he can still fill a useful role for many teams. However, he still seems to think he is as good as he was when he was 25, and that's where the problem is created. I see Iverson out to prove a point this year and he's going to be jacking up shots at a Kobe Bryant 05-06 level. At any rate, it's going to be yet another ugly year in Memphis.

ACC Football:

There has been much discussion of late as to how poor the ACC has gotten as a football conference. It's true that they did not look to good in the opening week, going 5-7, including 2 losses to FCS teams. They're still a far better conference than the Big East however, which somehow still gets an automatic BCS bid, which just proves how flawed that system truly is. Apparently for the ACC though, things change when they play each other. So far there have been two games between conference foes and both have been nothing short of highly entertaining. Last night Georgia Tech managed to take down Clemson 27-24 in the closing seconds of the game, after having lead 24-0 at one point. On Labor Day, Miami and Florida St. created a buzz with a very exciting 38-34 game which saw the Hurricanes take away the win and bragging rights. Both teams showed flashes of the old brilliance the programs are noted for and have many thinking they may be on their way back to prominence after several down years.

I will say that as a Miami fan, it was nice to have something to feel this good about to start off the season. While many of the national powers have multiple cupcakes to begin their year, Miami scheduled 4 straight Top 20 opponents. Taking out #1 rival FSU was a great confidence boost heading into games against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Oklahoma. The bigger confidence boost however is that Sophomore QB Jacory Harris looked like the real deal Monday night in Tallahassee. The question is what that just because of the complete lack of solid defense played by both teams, or because he really is that good. We shall see soon enough.

At any rate, while the ACC might not be able to keep up with the SEC, Big 12, or even the Pac 10 right now, there is a lot of great, highly competitive football being played within the conference. Living smack in the middle of ACC Country allows me to see a great deal of it, and while this will always be a basketball first league, Saturdays in the Fall can keep you entertained as well.

Often times during the summer (hopefully weekly) I'll post some of my ramblings. Basically they are just some thoughts I have on certain topics but I don't have nearly enough to say about each to write an entire article. Maybe soon I'll be up to speed with technology and can post a video version of my ramblings.

Los Angeles Lakers – 2009 NBA Champs

Well, the day has finally come. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to their first Championship since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal. I'm not about to sit here and tell you that he did it all himself because he had plenty of help with Gasol, Ariza, Fisher and Odom. I’m just saying it was nice to see him finally win one on his own so the people who always claimed he couldn’t win without Shaq can move on to another tired and useless argument. And as predicted, Shaq wasted no time in busting out the “Shaq how does my ass taste” line via Twitter.

Only a few hours after losing in the Finals, Magic guard Hedo Turkoglu announced that he’ll opt out of his contract to hit free agency. Smart move? I don’t think so. For as many good shots as he made in the playoffs, he was equally as awkward on defense and taking the ball into the paint. He also didn’t put up mind blowing numbers for someone who played as many minutes as he did. I really think he is best suited staying in Orlando but what do I know? Maybe playing for Stan Van Gundy is really that bad.

On the same weekend, rumors surfaced again that Shaq himself might be shipped off to Cleveland. I said a few weeks ago during the Lakers game that the Cavs would've rolled the Magic had they pulled the trigger on this deal before the trade deadline, so obviously it makes sense to do it now. I kind of hope it happens. But only so I can have the argument that Lebron can only win it with Shaq. Oh the irony. On a similar note, what would this say about Shaq’s legacy if he were to win the title in Cleveland? He would’ve played with Kobe, D-Wade and Lebron in helping them get their first title.

Red Wings lose at home in Game 7

The Penguins pulled off the impossible and won on the road in Game 7 to capture their first Stanley Cup since the early 90’s. Nevermind all this nonsense about Sidney Crosby not shaking hands because that is exactly what it is: nonsense. The kid is 21 years old and was celebrating a Stanley Cup victory. I think the Red Wings really need to relax when it comes to that.

Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe trophy and it was well deserved. I mean, he is the best player on the Penguins. Of course, Crosby’s stellar three point performance in seven Stanley Cup games was pretty solid. I’m just asking, when is the last time the captain of the Stanley Cup champs only tallied three points in the entire series? People want to talk about Marian Hossa disappearing for Detroit, but Crosby would be just as guilty (in this series).

I don’t know what to think about Marian Hossa. The irony of him leaving Pittsburgh to win in Detroit only to lose to Pittsburgh might rank as the highest event in the history of the irony scale. I didn’t understand when people who don’t follow hockey thought it would be funny to see him lose. Trust me, I was surrounded by people like that. You never see a professional athlete turn down millions and millions of guaranteed dollars for a chance to win a championship so I was applauding what he did. What if he suffered a career altering injury this season in Detroit? He would’ve lost around 50 million dollars in the process. For once a professional athlete left guaranteed money on the table to win a title when most athletes play for the money instead and yet he got burned in the deal.

The Coyotes aren't moving to Hamilton anytime soon

I'm all for this move. I keep hearing these stories about how a team in Hamilton would hurt the Sabres, but I guess I'm not seeing it. Fans of the Sabres will still go see the games and support the team. I don't see actual fans of the Sabres selling out if a team comes into Hamilton but I guess I can't argue with some of the experts that have researched the topic in depth.

Regardless, the Coyotes have to be moved or contracted. The NHL failed miserably in trying to expand the game into markets that aren't interested in hockey. They need to accept the fact that it is a regional sport and go to the markets that have a desire for an NHL franchise. While looking up information on this topic, I came across the fact that Winnipeg has since built a new arena that would be ideal for a new NHL franchise. So give the Coyotes back and everyone is happy.

While I understand the fact that Jim Balsillie wants an NHL franchise in Hamilton, he has a better chance at purchasing the Coytoes and moving them back to Winnipeg. It's still in Cananda and he'll still make a ton of money in the long run, so I really don't see what the big deal is. Something needs to be resolved though because having hockey in Phoenix is a waste of everyone's time.

Briere being shopping by the Flyers

In this article, it is noted that after only two seasons in Philly, the Flyers are trying to shop Danny Briere and get out of his insane contract. So far neither Montreal or LA seems interested. I find this story especially interesting after dealing with people ripping Buffalo for letting him walk two years ago. Maybe the Sabres knew what they were doing? Maybe they knew he wasn't worth that much money? I don't know, seems like it to me. Have fun with that Philly. The Sabres might be “cheap”, but at least they can manage a cap. Oh yeah, have fun with Ray Emery too!

The Charlotte Bobcats are for sale…and broke?

The Bobcats are the current reason that I’m without an NBA team. I never had an emotional attachment to them and I just couldn’t continue to follow a team that had zero interest in winning, competing or doing anything relevant in the NBA. The faster this team moves or contracts from the NBA, the better.

Now they won’t even fund a summer league team because they are broke. Sorry, I’m not buying it. They never spend money on players to be competitive, so where is that money going? Owner Bob Johnson begged and pleaded with David Stern to get a new NBA franchise in Charlotte and effectively ran it into the ground in less than 10 years. Impressive feat if you ask me.

Meanwhile people in Seattle are still in need of a team. They had theirs ripped away from them and will have to watch the OKC Thunder become a competitive team within the next two years. I say the solution to this problem is to move Charlotte to Seattle and never have another NBA franchise in Charlotte. It has failed two times now and enough is enough. Hell, I’ll become a fan if they move to Seattle. It seems like the win-win for all sides.

NFL Off-Season News

- Brett Favre is coming back. Who cares? He’s washed up and screwing over the Packers organization (again). I can’t wait to see him fail in Minnesota just like he did in New York. I’d write more but I don’t want my blood pressure to rise anymore than it already has.

- Vince Young is an idiot. I’ve said this since the day he was drafted, but he isn’t that good of an NFL quarterback. Sure he had a great rookie season but that was because teams didn’t know how to defend a guy who could run the way he could. Teams adjust in the off-season and things balance out going forward. He lost his job to Kerry Collins. He thought about quitting football (multiple times). Now he is acting like something is owed to him? Eh, good luck with that. I can’t see many people jumping at the thought of VY starting at QB for them.

- The Rams are for sale. People in St Louis are acting like they care, but I highly doubt they do. They won a Super Bowl this decade and yet the dome is never full for games. I know they struggled last season but the attendance in St Louis was terrible. I’ve been watching the Bills struggle for a decade now and the team still sells out almost every home game. If the St Louis fans care so much, they should probably show it by supporting the team when they aren’t winning the Super Bowl.

The Washington Nationals - Why?

Can we just have them removed from the league? I heard all these stories from people living in the area that they will be competitive again once they get their new ballpark and that clearly hasn’t happened. They have less people at their park than most AA clubs do at theirs. It's embarrassing to the Nationals and the city of Washington DC. Now they plan on ruining the career of Stephen Strasburg. I feel bad for the kid. Well, as bad as I can feel considering he'll be making millions of dollars to play a game. But still, you get my point. They have already been moved once so I say we just contract them now and be done with it. I'll celebrate the day that sports leagues realize that having more teams in more cities isn't always the best solution.

NHL Free Agency Starts Soon

July 1^st to be exact. I'll be coming out with some rankings for the upcoming free agents in the next few weeks. I'll start with the goalies, and then move to the defensemen and finally the forwards. Should be an interesting few months before the new season starts.

Trying something a little different this time around. Feedback is appreciated so let me know if you'd like to see more of this in the future or if you I should stick to the written word!