Recently they interviewed Dwight Howard and of course, it was hilarious. They decided to play a game called "Would You Rather" in which you decide between two horrible scenarios.

Galante: Would you rather have your nipple ring yanked out… Donte: Mmm, no. Which one, the left or the right one? Galante: The left one. OR, would you rather have to lift 20 lbs with a nose ring. Howard: I would rather have my nipple played with, I mean, uh... Galante: I don’t remember that being an option.

You can watch the whole interview from their website.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 9:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

An anonymous source (could be an NFL scout, coach, or front-office personnel) told Pro Football Weekly:

The Bears have no offense. Who is their quarterback? Who is their running back? Who are their receivers? A guy who could not get on the field with Washington (WR Brandon Lloyd) is slated to start. They are going to be putting a lot of faith in a rookie left tackle and a rookie running back. They are bound to be down by 30 at halftime against Indianapolis in the opener with (defensive coordinator) Bob Babich still coordinating the defense. They could begin the season 0-4 and be right back to where they were when they made the mistake of selecting Cedric Benson. If you want to look at the quality of their backfield, just consider the guy they were counting on to be their starter (Benson) was passed by all 31 other teams on waivers. What does that tell you?

Not only did the Bears lose their top WR Bernard Berrian to free agency, but they lost him to a division opponent (Vikings). Their top RB, Cedric Benson, was waived before he could complete the trifecta of operating vehicles while intoxicating (boat and car. Hope he is working on his pilot license!). And then there's their QB Rex Grossman. Or is it Kyle Orton? Yikes. They did pick up Kevin Jones who looked impressive in workouts just five month after ACL surgery. But, they have no offensive weapon they can rely on. They are a Devin Hester injury away from being, by far the most boring and scoring deficient team in the NFL. Alright, so the Dolphins should be worse - although I hear Ricky Williams is lookin great!

On the defensive side of the ball they are one year older and took a huge step back last season. After being in the top five in yards allowed in '05 and '06, they fell all the way to 28th last season. Of course, injuries played a big part in the decline. Safety Nathan Vasher missed most of the season with a groin injury, and Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs played through pain. But, there's no reason to think injuries won't again decimate the Bears defense if they are forced to be on the field because their offense can't pick up a first down.

For the sake of that city, I hope the Bulls' Derrick Rose pans out or it's going to be a depressing winter in Chicago.

H/T: AOL Fanhouse

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 8:00 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

7am - TNT - British Open: Second Round - Rocco Mediate is trying to prove the US Open was no fluke.

8:30am ET - Versus - Tour De France: Stage 13 -

As in the previous day’s stage, final sprint specialists will make it to the front to scrounge up a few extra points before reaching the Alps.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 4:00 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Canada is currently playing in the FIBA Olympic qualifier in Greece, trying to qualify for the Bejing Olympics. Coming into the tournament, the biggest star on their roster, and only NBA player, was not Steve Nash, but rather Philadelphia 76ers center, Samuel Dalembert. Last year Dalembert took the steps needed to gain Canadian citizenship so that he could play for the national team. Now, after playing just one game in the tournament, Dalembert's services are no longer wanted.

Just before the team bus left for the arena to play South Korea, Dalembert and coach Leo Rautins had words with each other.

National team coach Leo Rautins confronted Dalembert as the team bus was about to leave for the arena, questioning his commitment to the team. Dalembert in turn challenged Rautins.

Posted by Jeff Briggs at 1:41 PM | Email | Print | Permalink |

The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero wrote a column today titled, "Ricky could be best player on Fins' roster". Yeah, it's that bad.

Ricky Williams looked every bit the best player on the field the last time the Dolphins were together for one of their offseason practices. He ran with authority, he showed quickness, and he never let himself shift out of top gear, even in drills that didn't mean much. Williams, with cartoon superhero muscles bulging out of his jersey sleeves, caught the eyes of anyone paying attention.

But what did Bill Parcells think of the performance?

[Ricky] was the only player Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells congratulated with a fist bump as he was coming to the sideline after one workout.

Wow, they're on fist bump terms now. Soon enough they'll be dressing up like a bride and groom.

I want to see Ricky Williams succeed, but the fact that the a 31-year old RB who has had just six carries in the NFL in the past three years is your most impressive player is a bad sign. Maybe after the Dolphins play the Bills in Toronto, they should just stay there and join the CFL to play against competition on their level, like Williams' former team the Toronto Argonauts.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 12:30 PM | Email | Print | Permalink |

High School All-American Brandon Jennings surprised many by announcing he would be playing overseas rather than attending the University of Arizona. Jennings has now officially signed with a European team. Jennings will play for Virtus Roma in the Italian League.

[Advisor Sonny] Vaccaro described the terms as a "three-year, multimillion-dollar" contract with buyout considerations that will allow Jennings to leave the team and make himself available for the NBA draft when eligible next year.

It seems as if Jennings is entering into a great situation. He will be making good money (terms of the deal were not disclosed), will be playing for a coach that speaks English, he'll be playing in Rome which is very American friendly, and his brother will get to play for the junior club team.

The other big factor (and what probably made this deal go down) is that the Raptors signed point guard Roko Ukic who played for Virtus Roma last season. That will allow Jennings to get more playing time.

This could start a trend of players going overseas, but it might also start a trend of an increased awareness of European basketball. During LeBron James's senior year, ESPN aired a handful of his High School games. The same could happen with Brandon Jennings and any other big-time recruit who goes to Europe. With so much talk about Jennings, who isn't interested to see how he will do in Europe? Hell, I'd love a reality show about his whole experience.

He's not going to get the type of attention he would have gotten had he gone to Arizona, but he won't be starved for media attention either. Many people will be following his success, or failure, all season long.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 10:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

8:30am ET - Tour de France: Stage 12 -

This will be a fast-riding stage with a good chance that riders will tear through the kilometers at high speed under the impetus of the sprinters competing for the green jersey

8pm - ESPN - MLS: Kansas City Wizards @ Columbus Crew - Do you think Columbus Crew sounds more like a gang or an a cappella group?

10pm - ESPN2 - MLL Lacrosse: All-Star Game - Because it's higher scoring than hockey.

Non-sports pick - 8pm - E! - True Hollywood Story: Heath Ledger - Learn how much the role of The Joker contributed to his drug overdose.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 7:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Today is the first round of the British Open and, for once, Tiger-less nations seem to think their guys have more than the standard long-shot. A Times of London column (Could this be the year that a Briton raises the Claret Jug?) featured in the RCS Morning Edition exemplifies the international golf community's new optimism.

In recent years, the British have had a tough go at trying to win their own national golf championship. In fact, the last Brit to win the open was Nick Faldo, sixteen years ago. Thus this year, it seems, may be the last best hope to end the drought -- at least until Woods retires.

Other international media outlets feel similarly.

The Australian Associated Press is hopeful that native Geoff Ogilvy (the world's #3 player), will capture his second major (Birkdale happy hunting ground for Australia):

A PROUD history at Royal Birkdale, a strong contingent and no Tiger Woods.

Add to that a defending champion under an injury cloud and all factors point to the best chance in years of an Australian winning golf's oldest major when players tee off this afternoon.

La ausencia de Tiger Woods, el buen momento de Miguel Ángel Jiménez y la madurez de Sergio García, inivitan al optimismo en el torneo que comienza mañana.

Meanwhile, without Tiger in the field, Americans -- well, the ones who still choose to watch -- are either rooting for Phil Mickelson to win his first British Open or, perhaps more boldly, for John Daly, 1995 British Open champion, to make his tee time:

Earlier this season, Daly, who also won the 1991 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, spent most of a rain delay during the first round of the PODS Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, in a Hooters Inc. hospitality tent.

When play resumed, Daly had Jon Gruden, coach of the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as his caddie. He missed the cut after a second-round 80. Harmon then said Daly was more interested in alcohol than golf.

The following week, Daly was disqualified from the Arnold Palmer Invitational for missing his tee time for the event's Pro-Am tournament. Daly said he was given the wrong information by a tournament official.

Posted by Jeff Pyatt at 6:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Your job is a grind. You sit in a cubicle where a big analog clock hangs on your wall. And you stare at it. And continue -- and continue -- to stare at it as every. painful. second. ticks. by.

But you're a Colts fan, and it's Sunday! This week was your lucky week. You won a radio contest and scored tickets to brand new state-of-the-art Lucas Oil Stadium. And today is the big day. You missed your chance to get a free tour of the facility in the off-season, but today you cash in on a bigger prize.

You're going to the game! You're ready and you've prepared yourself. Your face is painted. The cooler is filled with ice-cold deliciousness. The Manning jersey you're wearing arrived at your door yesterday. You get in your car. Drive to the stadium. Find a nice parking spot. Drink your deliciousness. Trek to and through the gate. And hike up the ramp while carrying a big goofy grin that wraps around your head. Then you get to your seats...

Lame.

From the Indianapolis Star:

If you're on the aisle, it appears you will have the ability to lean to the left or right -- the way Peyton does when he calls an audible, to see around the post.

But if you're in the middle, chances are your elbows will be in your neighbor's popcorn if you try to lean too much.

"Hey Honey... bring a book."

(The Slanch Report)

Posted by Jeff Pyatt at 6:00 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

I could post about the Tour de France on Versus (basically all day long), or the AAA All-Star Game on ESPN2 at 7pm, and Point Break is on Fuse at the same time, but how about we enjoy ONE day without sports?

This should be like the Thanksgiving for sports. When there is virtually no sports happening today, let's give thanks to them. Thank you for entertaining us 364 days a year (it would be 363 but that Home Run Derby was pretty entertaining). Let's all take a breath and realize college and pro football are right around the corner, and pennant races will be heating up in baseball...and let's embrace those warm thoughts.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 4:00 PM | Email | Print | Permalink |

John Rutherford at MSNBC talked to Bill Werber, the oldest living baseball player. The 100 year-old man admitted that he hadn't seen a game of baseball in "four or five years." Here is his classic old man reason for not liking the game:

I don't like the appearance of a lot of the players. The hair's too long. Their beards are too evident. They're a grubby-looking bunch of caterwaulers.

Of course the game was a lot tougher back in those days. Ballparks were placed on the side of mountains, and they used rocks instead of these newfangled "balls." Players would play for schillings, which were hurled upon them by the richest of the spectators. He went on to say he didn't care for talking pictures, was and still is against a woman's right to vote, and was never much for book learning.

Posted by Jeff Briggs at 2:00 PM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Any avid hockey fan has dreamed of drinking from Lord Stanley's Cup. It is the most famous trophy in all of sports (despite hockey verging on becoming a fringe sport). But, you might want to rethink drinking from the Silver Cup now that Kris Draper is done with it.

The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup this past season. and forward Kris Draper had his turn with the Cup about a month ago. Draper filled the Cup with Timbits (Canada's version of donut holes), he used it as a giant ice cream dish, he paraded it all around his hometown of Toronto, and, of course, he drank out of it. So, pretty typical stuff. Nothing a simple cleaning wouldn't fix...except for what happened before he drank out of the Cup.

A week after we won it, I had my newborn daughter in there, and she pooped in the Cup...That was something. We had a pretty good laugh...I still drank out of it that night, so no worries.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 4:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Donte Greene declared for the NBA Draft after just one year at Syracuse and was selected 28th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. He was then traded along with a 2009 2nd round pick to the Rockets for Darrell Arthur.

Greene was drafted largely on potential: he is 6-foot-9 and can shoot from distance. He averaged 17.7 PPG and 7.2 rebounds last season, and set a Syracuse freshman record with 90 three-pointers made.

Greene ended up signing a contract with the Rockets just five minutes before his first summer league game, where he dropped 40 points against the Phoenix Suns.

But Rockets fans shouldn't get too excited over Greene's debut. Although he hit a record 90 three-pointers as part of the Orange, he took 261 of them. He was a high volume shooter that doesn't play defense and avoids physical contact. At 6-foot-9 he should be a much better rebounder and be able to take it in the post.

After his 40 point outburst Greene said:

Once I got to 36, Phoenix started keying in on me a lot more, so I started to look for my teammates to get them going. I got Aaron (Brooks) going, and Maarty (Leunen), and Mike Harris and we got the win.

But, despite his great debut, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 2:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |

8pm - Fox - MLB All-Star Game - Did you know it's the last All-Star game at Yankee Stadium? I wonder if they'll mention that during the telecast.

Non-sports pick - 8pm - National Geographic - Earth: The Biography - If you haven't seen it the last two days, here is another chance to learn a little something about the planet you live on...or just stare at pretty pictures.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 2:30 PM | Email | Print | Permalink |

Last week, Trent Dilfer announced his retirement from the NFL (yeah, I was shocked to learn he was still playing too). Dilfer played 13 seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens. Although he didn't win the game's MVP, he did get to do the Disneyland commercial because Ray Lewis wasn't family-friendly enough.

Dilfer signed a 3-year deal with ESPN in which he will be an NFL studio analyst. He has already had experience in this field as a guest on the NFL Network. He has shown a great knowledge of the game and was able to quickly adapt to the studio environment. This is just another example of how the NFL Network can't keep up with the Worldwide Leader.

The NFL Network is like the farm club for ESPN talent. Dilfer was able to hone his craft at the NFLN before making the jump to ESPN (similar to Marcellus Wiley and Jesse Palmer). You can't blame these analysts for making the switch, for what is most likely more money and definitely more exposure. But, if the NFL Network wants to be the go-to source for NFL information and analysis, they better have the talent to do so, and losing someone like Dilfer is a step in the wrong direction.

But at least they don't have Emmitt Smith.

Posted by Robbie Gillies at 4:30 AM | Email | Print | Permalink |