A few random thoughts

* College football's conference realignment was a bigger bust than Dolly Parton (thank you, I'll be here all week). I feel like I got teased into bed by Scarlet Johannsen and woke up with Rosie O'Donnell. All the talk had been about a Pac-10 superconference with the Texas and Oklahoma schools shifting westward, and then maybe the Big Ten would take Nebraska and Missouri plus raid the Big East perhaps, and maybe even force Notre Dame to join a conference. Instead all we got was Colorado moving to the Pac-10 and Nebraska going to the Big-10. Big flippin' deal. I was looking forward to yearly Texas-USC matchups, and Oregon-Oklahoma. Instead I get Colorado-Washington St. and Nebraska-Northwestern. Hey, congrats Big-10 and Pac-10; all of that bluster, and you added two schools that haven't been relevant for about a decade.

* I love how every off-field transgression is now referred to as a "mistake." Last night I had ESPNNEWS on and John Clayton was talking about Vince Young getting into a fight at a strip club, and he said Young had "admitted to his mistake." Hmm, I don't think "mistake" is quite the right term for getting into a fight at a strip club. A mistake is when you're doing a math problem and you forget to carry the 1. Even being in a strip club and allowing yourself to be put in that position when you're a starting QB is...how should I put this...fucking idiotic. Roethlisberger's ordeal has also been referred to as a "mistake." The term "mistake" just makes it all sound a little too honest. I mean, we all make mistakes. But we don't all go to strip clubs and get into fights, and we don't all force girls into a bathroom and then do, well whatever Ben did.

* Hi, Brad Childress here. Just letting everyone know that when my star QB misses minicamps and OTAs, I'm okay with that, but when my star RB does the same, I get pissed! Hey Adrian, sorry bud but you aren't "contemplating retirement." heh heh even I can't say that one with a straight face. But seriously, get your ass to camp. I have no problem airing my double standards in public, as you can already see. And when Brett doesn't show up for training camp because he's still "contemplating retirement" well...don't you worry 'bout that. But your ass better be there on time and in shape. There's only one person on this team who can get into shape while riding his lawnmower, and it ain't you bud.

*Seriously though, the Vikings were able to get away with Favre missing training camp last year because they opened with Cleveland and Detroit, which allowed him to ease into the season (and he eased in like a gentleman, throwing for only about 120 yards in each game). The Vikings have no such luxury this season, as they open against New Orleans and Miami. If the passing game starts off slow again, they'll be 0-2. Mark my words, Favre will not be able to get away with missing training camp again.

*Chad Qualls, the Diamondbacks' closer, has a stat line that's so bad, you have to see it to believe it. 22.1 innings pitched, 2.1 WHIP, 8.46 ERA. In other words, he's allowing a helluva lot of baserunners (over 2 per inning!) and a helluva lot of runs. The Arizona bullpen is a disaster area as a whole, but Qualls has to be the worst pitcher in baseball this season. I can't imagine anyone else with that high of a WHIP and that high of an ERA. You shouldn't be able to keep your job with numbers like that, but Qualls is gainfully employed, and still the closer as far as I know. Kyra Sedgwick would be a better option.

Fun fact: Arizona averages almost 5 runs a game, and is 12 games under .500. That's all you need to know about that particular pitching staff.