The 10 Worst NFL Uniforms, & The 5 Best.

There are several of these lists floating around online, and know doubt you've read a few yourself. Everyone has an opinion, and that is just what this is ... MY opinion. After reading list after list and disagreeing with other people's opinions ... I figured I would publish my own list. For the purpose of this post I will focus on the home uniforms mostly used by the teams. I also won't pay any attention to throwbacks or alternates because they are only used sparingly.

Please feel free to include your list in the comments below.

10 Worst NFL Uniforms

10: Detroit Lions


The Lions have made a vast improvement over their old unis with their current threads, but they still leave something to be desired. While not "ugly" they could use some further tweaking, and have the potential to be a world class uniform. It also may be time for an upgrade of the logo. It should be noted that the new black jersey is fantastic. Perhaps the Lions should look at adding a little more black highlights to compliment their blue.










9: Minnesota Vikings


Yet another victim of "better than before, but still not good enough." The Vikings are on the right track, but I have no idea what they can do to make those unis better. They may be the victim of their purple/yellow combo. At least the Ravens have a sinister purple/black scheme.













8: Buffalo Bills


Now this is a shame. The Bills have a great color scheme. It doesn't get much better than red, white, and blue after all. The problem is they don't put them together well. First of all, the solid dark works for many teams ... just not the Bills. Second, the helmet flat out sucks ass.














7: Oakland Raiders


This one is a little strange for me because I like black. I also like silver, and I like the two of them together. The Raiders just look unfinished to me. I wouldn't propose any major changes, but I'd add some details to give the Raiders a more finished look. I'd also make sure they change their logo.

I think it's about time the drastic logo change gets done. Seriously, does the Raiders logo accurately represent a raider, or the Raiders' attitude? Of course it doesn't. If you were at sea and the raider who was trying to rob you looked like the Raiders' logo you'd be less worried about them stabbing you in the stomach, and more worried about them stabbing you in the ass ... if you know what I mean. It's time to give the Black Hole a worthy logo.






6: Kansas City Chiefs


I'll admit that I have a problem with red helmets paired with red jerseys, and that's probably the main reason I've never liked the Chiefs uniforms. I really don't have anything more than that to add. I just don't care for them.















5: Tennessee Titans


Another case of I just don't like them. I didn't care for the oilers before them, and I don't care for the Titans now. I think it's the helmet ... which is hideous. I give mad props to the Titans though because they are one of the few teams that will invest in several different uniforms to keep it fresh. I wish all teams did that.














4: Indianapolis Colts


I've run into several other lists like this online that love the Colts' uniforms. My question is ... why? If there was ever a too minimalist approach to a sports uniform this is it. Yes the Colts unis are classic, and that should be respected. However, you can have a classic look while still having a modern uniform.

Their uniforms remind me of one thing ... pee wee football. This is exactly the uniform you get when you are a kid. It's time for the Colts to grow up.










3: San Fransisco 49ers


I have never been a fan of the 49ers' uniforms ... even when Montana was hitting Rice and making history. I despise the red/gold combo, but the white pants sometimes worn are a step in the right direction. Are the 49ers a professional football team, or a poorly wrapped Christmas present?












2: Miami Dolphins


The Dolphins uniforms should be San Fransisco's uniforms. It's hard to imagine a uniform that better represents fruit than these. At least Florida has a lot of citrus crops to take the fall as the inspiration for this utterly dismal design. I've seen other lists make fun of the Seahawks' sea foam color while ignoring the Dolphins far more offensive aqua. Nothing screams toughness like aqua.

Does anyone else find it odd that the Dolphins logo is tougher looking than the Raiders'?

I have good news for Dolphins fans, and the rest of us forced to burn our retinas on these eyesores ... there are rumors that the dolphins are going to change their unis this upcoming season. Many are speculating that they will announce this at the draft. Dear God let's hope so.




Finally, here it is ... the ugliest uniform in the NFL.


1: Cleveland Browns


I've noticed a strange correlation between the other lists online, and the Browns being listed as one of the best NFL uniforms. I smell a conspiracy among Browns fans. After decades of the Browns uniforms being universally acknowledged as the ugliest in the NFL, Browns fans are fighting back. Good for them, but that doesn't change the undeniable horridness of their uniforms.

To make matters worse, the Browns had a free pass for a do over when they moved to Baltimore. Hell, the first thing the Ravens did was shed the ugly unis of their past. When the fans of Cleveland demanded the Browns come back ... they succeeded. A perfect opportunity to design a new uniform that would be respected by fans around the league was squandered as the Cleveland Browns went back to the old and ugly uniforms of yesteryear. I can remember have many discussions with fellow fans who were also stunned that the Browns brought back the crap colored uniforms. The reason the Browns are number 1 for the ugliest uniform in the NFL is blatantly obvious ... they can only be described as repugnant.


There you have my 10 worst NFL uniforms list, but what about the 5 best? You'll find my list of the 5 best uniforms in the NFL below.

Top 5 NFL Uniforms

5: Atlanta Falcons


The Falcons have had a history of so so uniforms. They went with red ... they went with black ... finally, someone suggested to put red and black together while using white as a buffer between the two. This novel idea took the Falcons into the 21st century as far as uniforms go. Everything about the new threads is better than the past, and they look good when they take the field.













4: Seattle Seahawks


I've seen several list who hate the new Seahawks unis, but seriously ... come on! There are more than 8 colors in the world to use on a uniform, but anytime a team shows some originality people freak out. Not only are the Seahawks uniforms infinitely better than anything they've ever had, but they accurately represent the pacific northwest that the Seahawks call home.

The sea foam, green, white, and blue all complement each other to make a great looking original uniform. The Seahawks look sharp in a uniform that hasn't been ripped off from any other team, and that accurately represents their home ... few teams can say that.

3: Houston Texans


Now this team looks sharp! Finally an expansion team that got their uniforms right. I can't say enough about the Texans' uniforms ... the color combo, number of uniforms, stellar logo, and a perfect blend of modern and traditional style make them one of my hands down favorites in all of sports.

The Texans took their uniforms seriously when they entered the NFL, and it shows. Not only does it show in the colors, but the logo says a lot about how proud that organization is. Virtually all modern expansion teams have bad logos. Just look at the Ravens, Panthers, Titans and Jaguars to see what I mean. The Texans straight up look good!







2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Tampa Bay used to have the honor of ugliest uniforms with their old tangerine jerseys. People used to make fun of the Bucs because they looked like girls even though the tangerine is a hell of a lot more manly than aqua. A little while back Tampa got sick and tired of being the laughing stock of the NFL, and they went as far away from "fruity" as possible. Tampa Bay wanted their new look to strike fear in their opponents. They wanted to be the bully now, and they succeeded on both counts.

It was instantaneous that the Bucs became a new team the moment they got their new uniforms. Perhaps they had designed a uniform that intimidated their opponents. Of the two pirate teams in the NFL, only the Bucs truly represent the savage nature of a pirate. As with the Seahawks, the Bucs branched out from the traditional 8 colors for their uniforms, and went with a pewter. Some may say that the Bucs look like the 49ers (and we all know how much I hate the 49ers' uniforms), but if you think that ... you are a dink. The Bucs have a truly original uniform that accurately represents their mascot, and the historical heritage of the waters of their coast.

A pirate is not a pirate without a jolly roger flag, and the Bucs were wise to put on their helmets. Pirates need a symbol that lets everyone know that they mean business, and that they are truly vicious pirates ... not butt pirates (listen up Oakland). For originality, colors, accurate representation, and a menacing look ... the Bucs are second on my list.


The best looking uniform in the NFL is ...


1: Chicago Bears


I'll admit I'm biased because I'm a die hard Bears fan, but I'm not biased like Browns fans in that I'm not delusional enough to say my team's uniforms are the best simply because they are my team. No, the Bears are universally acknowledged to have one of the best uniforms in the NFL, and even all of professional sports. Most lists have the Bears in the top 3. So it isn't a stretch at all to put them at number one.

Bear blue is not only original, but it is timeless as well. The Bears have found a way to maintain their traditional look throughout the decades while still keeping the team looking fresh and new. If only the Colts would pay attention to this process. The Bears' uniform has changed little over the years, but they have been great at "tweaking" their timeless look to keep up with modern style. This talent has kept the Bears' uniforms one of most liked by football fans for decades. I would like to see the Bears branch out a little in an alternate design, but I never want them to get rid of their classic look. It isn't just these great points that make the Bears' uniforms my favorite, but the fact that they honor "Papa Bear" himself George Stanley Halas on their sleeves by imprinting GSH. Now that is classy.

Why This Conservative Thinks Charles Barkley Is Right

Sir Charles has been catching some serious flak from the conservative blogosphere for his comments about conservatives being "fake Christians." If you haven't seen the interview with Blitzer ... you can watch it below before you continue reading this post.

fake christians
by luvnews

Frankly, conservatives should cut him some slack for saying he's voting Democrat because he doesn't like the direction Republicans are taking the country. Especially since many conservatives, and registered Republicans, feel the same way and are doing the same thing this next election to "prove a point", and that is exactly what they did the last congressional election. Conservatives were fed up with Republicans abandoning their principals, and they didn't like the direction Republicans were taking the country.

If you are familiar with Charles Barkley's political rants in the past ... you know damn well that Sir Charles holds many conservative beliefs, and has openly stated we wants to run for office as a Republican. He also holds many liberal beliefs as well ... many of these come from the disinformation the MSM has been putting out for years. In other words ... if I were to sit and talk with Barkley about those issues I could probably change his mind. If you were to classify his political affiliation .. he is a moderate who leans right ... as most Americans are.

Rush Limbaugh has stated that moderates are liberals in hiding, or cowards afraid to pick a side. I love Rush, but he is dead wrong on this issue. Most Americans have conservative values, but maintain at least a few liberal ideals. Hence ... most Americans are moderates who lean to the right.

Barkley makes his case against conservatives by stating he has no problem with gay marriage, and he is pro-choice. He addresses how hypocritical religious conservatives are, to him, because they often behave in a manner that is actually against the teachings of Christ and the bible. That's where Barkley makes his statement that is getting him in trouble with conservatives. He essentially said that these conservative Christians are "fake Christians" because they don't forgive others, and they judge other people harshly if they don't agree with their point of view. He is dead on accurate.

Unfortunately, Sir Charles ignorantly lumps the majority into the minority. When he stated that he gets sick every time he hears the word conservative ... he makes the mistake of attacking conservatives rather than religious zealots. He apparently doesn't draw a distinction between Republicans, conservatives, and the religious right. This is a grave error, and it has led to conservatives retaliating for being attacked. Even though Barkley wasn't knowingly attacking true conservatives at all.

One of the major mistakes that we conservatives continue to make is that we don't do enough to distinguish ourselves from Republicans. Nor have we taken the proper, and necessary, measures to separate ourselves from the religious right. By religious right I don't mean people who are religious, I mean bible thumping zealots who don't stand for conservative values, and are barely distinguishable from a cult. These groups of "Christians" are dangerous, and should be shunned by those of us who have authentic Judeo/Christian values.

It is important that you understand while reading this that I am not talking about all people of religion. I am only speaking of the fanatics. Those who blindly follow their faith the way they are told to follow it rather than how God and Jesus instructed. These people are, in fact, the biggest hypocrites in this country as Barkley accurately stated in his interview.

As a talk show host I have had many discussions of a religious nature, and have been extremely disturbed by many of my conversations with so called "Christian" listeners ... including priests, pastors, etc. I've not only been disturbed as a conservative, but as a Christian myself to the intolerance of others, elitism, hypocrisy, and downright vitriol that many of these callers convey to me.

One such example came when I had been discussing Islam in schools. There were some cases where teachers were teaching the Muslim religion to students in their class without parents knowing about it, and the many instances of schools accommodating Muslim students while refusing to extend the same courtesy to Christian students. Naturally, I was enraged that these events were taking place. It is not only against the law to teach religion in public schools, but we had a Muslim teacher indoctrinating their students in order to convert them to Islam. As to be expected, I fielded dozens of calls for over an hour from angry Christian parents who were railing on about how wrong it was to try to convert students in the classroom to a different religion than that of the child and their family. I naturally agreed with all of them because they were right. No outside force, especially a teacher, has any right to attempt to coax children away from their family's religion ... period.

Literally the next day I had another story with the same exact plot. A teacher was forcing a religion upon their students without the parents knowing about it, and many parents were rightfully upset with the teacher attempting to convert their children to the teacher's religion. To my utter horror I took call after call from listeners who were angry with me for attacking the teacher. I couldn't figure it out. It was the same exact story as the day before. You had a teacher who was forcing a specific religion upon their students against parents' wishes, and the parents were rightfully angry about it. There was literally no difference between the two stories ... except one. While the story the previous day was a Muslim teacher indoctrinating students ... the story this day was a Christian teacher indoctrinating students. To make matters worse, I took calls from several people who had called the previous day to express their outrage at a Muslim talking about Islam in class. Only now they were supporting the Christian talking about Christianity in class. Why would they be ok with one religion indoctrinating kids against parents' wishes, and opposed to the other? There is only one explanation. They are intolerant hypocrites.

Another issue where this hypocrisy reared its ugly head was only a couple of weeks ago. My co-host frequently says "oh my God." I do also, but to a lesser extent. I would like to point out that we are both Christians (her more so than me), and this was never done out of malice. However, a listener wrote a letter to our boss complaining about the use of that phrase. My boss responded by saying we didn't mean anything by it, and it is just the way we talk ... it's no big deal. By boss received an angry response containing a lot of CAPITAL LETTERS, and explanation points!!!!!!!!!! This guy was saying that it was a big deal, we needed to respect and abide by the ten commandments, and something about us being evil I think. In other words, this zealot was offended by our use of the phrase "oh my God", and demanded we be censored until we fell in line with the ten commandments. He did not tell me which version of the ten commandments he wanted me to abide by. Just so you know ... there are several versions more than the traditional two we are most familiar with. Clearly he has never read the bible or studied the teachings of Christ. Nor does he hold the Constitution in any regard, and he is clearly intolerant of other belief systems. If you don't agree as he does ... you must be silenced. That is the attitude Charles Barkley was talking about.

I felt I had a topic with this guy's letter so I read it on the air, and asked for feedback. I asked if the listeners were offended by our use of the phrase "oh my God", and I urged religious leaders to call in as well. While most of the calls were from sensible people, who identified themselves as Christians, defending Heather and myself ... some were not so understanding.

After taking several calls saying it was no big deal, and people should stop being so over sensitive ... I started getting calls from those over sensitive types. The first lady said that it offended her greatly to hear me use the lord's name in vain. She said that I should never say "oh my God" again because there are people who listen to my show who will be offended. So I should stop saying the phrase because I might offend someone. I then asked her if I should never talk about Mohammed again because that offends Muslims greatly. Her response illustrated just how hypocritical the overly religious can be. She said "she didn't care what Muslims thought." Oh really? "What is the difference between offending Christians, and offending Muslims," I asked. She had no answer for me, and continued to say that my saying "oh my God" offended her. I then asked why I should care about offending her if she didn't care about offending Muslims. She ran out of ways to deflect my question, and finally caved by saying that I should never talk about the prophet Mohammed. So now I've been censored twice!

From there I took the obvious stance that I should not say a whole host of things because it may offend listeners. I can't insult liberals, commies, education, or anything else. Do you have any idea how many people I offend when talking about the war, or when I mention disgusting fat bodies? To hell with that garbage. I may as well quit being a talk show host.

I did receive several more calls from people who felt offended by the phrase "oh my God" (including my mother-in-law) ... none could offer me a reason why it was ok to offend some, but not others. Some even attacked my beliefs, and said as a Christian I was required to respect the ten commandments or I wasn't a "real Christian." Which is strange because Christ specifically forbade such insults. Still I was confident that if I could get a religious leader to call in they would defend me. Surely a priest, or pastor, would understand that God will not send you to hell for speaking such a phrase. After all, God is not God's name ... it's his title. How can I take the lord's name in vain if I'm not even saying his name? Finally, my prayers (get it) were answered, and a pastor called in. I don't know which Christian denomination he came from.

Now was my time to be vindicated! We common folk are easily lead astray by such nonsense, but a man of God would surely agree with me about the hypocrisy of it all. As it turns out ... we common folk are lead astray by those who are in positions of leadership in our religion. While this pastor was very nice ... everything he said had a message of intolerance of different beliefs whether he knew it or not. He said it was ok to offend Muslims because their God was a false God. Only his God was the real God, and therefore was the only one we need be concerned with offending. I countered with "with all do respect ... your God is not my God." To which he replied that there was only one God, and that was his God. "Funny," I replied. "My God says the same thing." We went back and forth like this for a few minutes, and while it was always friendly we made no headway. He simply was incapable of conceding that other belief systems should be equally as respected as his version of Christianity. Again, Charles Barkley's points have been made for him simply by allowing these "Christians" to speak on their own behalf.

These are the people that Sir Charles was talking about when he called the "fake Christians." So are they indeed fake Christians? That's a tough question that can be debated for centuries with no conclusion. No doubt there are horrible "fake Christians" who are nothing more than oxygen thieves on this planet (i.e. the Westboro Baptist Church). However, these people I illustrated above are decent people. They are hypocrites yes, and intolerant, but still decent people who are entitle to their beliefs. So what would make them "fake?" Well, that can only be answered by personal opinion. Which is exactly what morals are in the first place ... nothing but an individual's personal opinion. To not respect and tolerate other people's beliefs who differ from yours is a violation of the teachings of Christ. Jesus told his disciples to go forth and spread his message, but he warned them to be respectful of others' beliefs. He did not want his disciples to insult and attack other people's beliefs. Clearly the Christians I've written about today do not adhere to that message at all. It's all about them, and their beliefs ... all others be damned. While that may not be enough to call them "fake Christians" ... an outsider like Barkley could easily interpret it that way. It is important to note that he isn't entirely mistaken either.

Some of you religious types are no doubt upset by the way I'm addressing this issue. To you, I say, that's why I don't go to church anymore. Man is no longer concerned with doing things the way that Jesus or God would want. Churches have become too much about getting as many people into their congregation as possible. This is done by fear, and by attacking other belief structures ... including other Christians.

You'll notice that many of the Christians who disagreed with me cited that their God was the one true God. The problem is that while Christians believe in one God ... it's not the same God. You heard me correctly ... Christians don't even worship the same God. History is chalk full of Christians separating from their church, and forming a new church, because they refused to believe that their God would be the deity portrayed to them by their old church. Some Christians believe Jesus IS God, and others that he is the son of God (I'm in the latter), some think God is compassionate, but still some other say God is a vengeful, mean-spirited, bigot.

So, you see, we Christians aren't unified on our God. Yet some of us feel the need to ally ourselves with other Christians to attack other religions simply because we are Christians. In doing this we ally ourselves with people who literally believe in a different God than we do, but we don't even realize it. Even though the Christian Gods share a singular history ... different Christian denominations believe in a completely different personality for their deity. In other words ... the Catholic God is different than the Baptist God. The only thing that unites Christians (other than the Christian value system) is that we believe Jesus was more than just a man or prophet.

Don't think for a second that I'm saying Christian denominations should not stick together when attacked by outsiders because we don't share the same interpretation of our God. The war on Christianity is very real, and we need to combat it. We just have to understand that Christianity does not have a singular belief system. Much like Sunni, Shia, and Wahabists don't share a unified view of Islam, but they are all still Muslim.

This is where we conservatives come in. We are caught in the middle of all this nonsense. Most of us are religious to an extent, but not bible thumpers. We are more tolerant that the religious right of those who are different, and we are far more intellectual than emotional than our zealot counterparts. Yet we continue to allow them to make the rules, and fight all of our battles for us. Guess what ... they are losing those battles. If true conservatives were to take over the abortion debate from the religious right ... it would be a done deal by now. The only reason we still have abortion is because we allow our side to play the religion card rather than using sound science to defeat the issue, and we are losing the debate. Every time religion is used in an abortion argument ... that person will lose. Why? Religion is irrelevant to the population when talking about political issues. They don't like having someone else's religion shoved down their throat.

What other issues has the religious right failed to have any success? How about homosexuality. I've talked about gay marriage dozens of times on my show, and I always get the same response from conservatives. They support civil unions with all the legal protections of marriage, but they don't want it called marriage. It's that simple of an issue. Unfortunately, the bible thumpers have made this an all or nothing issue that violates the spirit of the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution. When it comes to homosexuality in schools our extreme right friends have also failed. Rather than focus on science, studies, and family involvement they constantly make it a religious issue. All of this behavior only serves to paint Republicans, conservatives, and the average person of faith as bigoted, oppressive, cold-hearted monsters. All while accomplishing virtually nothing.

That type of perception among the population is what leads to people like Charles Barkley turning on true conservatism, and attacking us. Certainly Barkley is mistaken in who he is targeting for criticism, but ultimately it is our fault as conservatives for allowing the fringe extreme right to speak on our behalf. We are as guilty as Democrats for allowing liberals to take over their party. It's too late for them ... their party is already gone, but we have time. We conservatives call ourselves the silent majority, and we are just that ... silent.

China Is Forcing Olympic Athletes To Promise They Won't Criticize Chinese Government

Well, technically it's the Olympics themselves, but China is a-o-k with it.

England is caving to the demands. I wonder who is next.

British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.

The move – which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 – immediately provoked a storm of protest.

The controversial clause has been inserted into athletes' contracts for the first time and forbids them from making any political comment about countries staging the Olympic Games.

It is contained in a 32-page document that will be presented to all those who reach the qualifying standard and are chosen for the team.

From the moment they sign up, the competitors – likely to include the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and world record holder Paula Radcliffe – will be effectively gagged from commenting on China's politics, human rights abuses or illegal occupation of Tibet.

Prince Charles has already let it be known that he will not be going to China, even if he is invited by Games organisers.

It's pretty sad when Prince Charles is the moral compass, and pillar of strength in England. At least it looks like England is backing off on the gag order.

Exit question: If you are a guest of China ... should you insult your host? Why not just withdraw from the Olympics if you are so opposed to the hosting country?

Hardest Hits In NFL History!

In honor of Pro Bowl weekend I figured I would add some vids to the site to bid farewell to football until next year. While it is nearly impossible to put something together with all of the great NFL hits ... this guy did a great job.

NFL's Greatest Hits

Also, in honor of the Redskins' Sean Taylor I figured I would post the official tribute the Redskins did for him. I felt this was important since the Redskins are all honoring him today by wearing his jersey number.



However, I will honor Taylor as a football player by posting his stellar Pro Bowl hit last year.

Sean Taylor Pro Bowl Hit

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Mir Submits Lesnar At UFC 81!

A huge congrats goes to Frank Mir who fights out of my gym, Striking Unlimited. Frank is also a coach at Striking Unlimited, and SU owner/head trainer Ken Hahn really got Mir ready for the fight. Mir submitted Brock Lesnar in the first round as Brock made his debut in the UFC. No doubt things will be great at SU next week. It's always good when your fighters, who happen to be your coaches, come home with a win.

Everyone who has been talking trash about Mir owes him a big apology. He clearly proved his naysayers wrong tonight.

Brock came out with the intent of bullying Mir with his strength, and for a time it appeared that he may be able to pull off the upset over Mir. However, Lesnar left his leg open as he was looking for an opening to drop punches down upon Mir, and Frank took Brock down. It wasn't long before Lesnar had to tap, or lose the use of his leg.

I often refer to Frank Mir as the former and future heavyweight champion of the UFC, and he showed that he is more than capable of being just that tonight.

Although Lesnar lost the fight he did show that he can be a force in the UFC heavyweight ranks. Brock came close to pulling off a victory, but ultimately fell victim to his own lack of experience. Had Lesnar been in the octagon with the average UFC heavyweight ... he most likely would have pulled off the win. Lesnar may not be ready for world class Jiu Jitsu fighters yet, but there aren't many of them to worry about in the heavyweight division as he learns and improves in his craft.

With Nogueira defeating Sylvia to win the interim heavyweight title the stage is set for a Mir Nogueira title fight, and a grudge match between Lesnar and Sylvia. Brock has been talking a lot of trash about Sylvia for losing to Couture, and I doubt Sylvia will let that go. This would be two great fights! On one hand you have two masters of Jiu Jitsu with Mir and Nogueira ... on the other you have two brawlers in Sylvia and Lesnar.

All in all, UFC 81 was a good PPV. My only complaint is that Mir was introduced before Lesnar. This is a breach of etiquette in the fight world. Traditionally the fighter who is, or has been, champion is introduced second. It was completely disrespectful in my opinion.

Breaking News: O.J. Arrested In Vegas!

UPDATE:

He was arrested at the Palms.

UPDATE 2:

Here is a time-line and list of charges against OJ.

UPDATE 3:

Very good background on the robbery, arrest and charges.

It looks like it finally happened. OJ Simpson was arrested in connection to the hotel robbery a couple of days ago.

Review Journal:

Las Vegas police arrested O.J. Simpson Sunday morning on one count of robbery with a deadly weapon for an armed robbery that took place at the the Palace Station Thursday, authorities said.

"He's under arrest and he's on his way to the office," said Lt. Clint Nichols of the robbery unit. Investigators will question Simpson before any more charges are added, Nichols said.

They also arrested his accomplice.

The man charged with armed robbery for allegedly helping O.J. Simpson recover what he claimed was stolen memorabilia at the Palace Station Thursday has been identified as Walter Alexander, 47, according to jail records.

Alexander was booked into the Clark County Detention Center Saturday and charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and burglary with use of deadly weapon.

Police said Simpson remains a suspect and could face several felony charges. The former football great, accompanied by his lawyer, is expected to make a full statement to police on Monday.

The Juice is loose no more!

NFL Week 2 Picks

8 of 16 ... not good this week.

Sunday

BUF @ PIT -- Pit *
HOU @ CAR -- Car
NO @ TB -- TB *
ATL @ JAC -- Jac *
CIN @ CLE -- Cin
SF @ STL -- Stl
GB @ NYG -- NYG
IND @ TEN -- Ten
DAL @ MIA -- Dal *
MIN @ DET -- Min
SEA @ ARI -- Sea
KC @ CHI -- Chi *
NYJ @ BAL -- Bal *
OAK @ DEN -- Den *
SD @ NE -- NE*

Monday

WAS @ PHI -- Phi

NFL Week 1 Picks

UPDATE:

Looks like I went 9-15 in week 1. I was close on a couple of games that were won on last minute field goals. All in all, not bad for week 1 picks.

I didn't get this post up in time to include the Colts/Saints, but I would have picked the Colts ... though not so easily.

Sunday
TEN @ JAC -- Jac
ATL @ MIN -- Min *
PIT @ CLE -- Pit *
KC @ HOU -- Hou *
PHI @ GB -- Phi
NE @ NYJ -- NE *
DEN @ BUF -- Buf
CAR @ STL -- Stl
MIA @ WAS -- Was *
TB @ SEA -- Sea *
DET @ OAK -- Det *
CHI @ SD -- Chi
NYG @ DAL -- NYG

Monday
BAL @ CIN -- Cin *
ARI @ SF -- SF *

Well, there you have it. I will pick every week, and keep track of my success on this site.

See, I Told You Steroids Had Nothing To Do With The Benoit Murders

I have received great criticism for openly stating that steroids had no possible role in the Benoit murders. It really isn't that difficult to understand, but people are idiots. The situation isn't made any easier with the media constantly using the "roid rage" myth as a way to explain the murders.

Bottom line is, there was a crime that needs to be solved. No one benefits from us perpetuating the lie that Benoit murdered his family in a three day roid rage that has never been seen before in the history of mankind.

If Benoit did murder his family (and there are questions) then we need to find out why. Was it an event that happened in their lives? Was she leaving him? Did he catch her having an affair? Perhaps it was the drugs he was taking. After all, we already know that Percocet and Xanax can lead to violent behavior. It's well documented, and widely accepted that these drugs have violent side effects. If drugs led Benoit to murder ... it is far more likely that these are the prime suspects ... not steroids.

However, now we are learning that there is another possible explanation as to why Benoit would suddenly become violent towards his family.

Fox News:

Pro wrestler Chris Benoit suffered brain damage from his years in the ring that could help explain why he killed his wife, son and himself, a doctor who studied Benoit's brain said Wednesday.

The analysis by doctors affiliated with the Sports Legacy Institute suggests repeated concussions could have contributed to the killings at Benoit's suburban Atlanta home.

Finally, a legitimate explanation!

The level of brain damage Benoit had can cause depression and irrational behavior, Cantu said.

Benoit's brain showed the same degenerative processes that doctors working for the institute found in the brains of three men who had played pro football and committed suicide, Cantu said. There were abnormal protein deposits caused by trauma to Benoit's brain, Cantu said.

There's no evidence that steroid use causes such protein deposits, Cantu said, though he noted the issue has not been exhaustively studied.

Would anyone like to take a stab as to why the institute was studying Benoit's brain?

Michael Benoit said Wednesday that he agreed to the testing because murder-suicide was out of character for his son. He also disclosed that after the killings, he discovered a diary written by his son that showed his son was having problems.

"After reading the diary, I would have thought it was written by someone who was extremely disturbed at the time," Michael Benoit said.

He did not elaborate, but he did say a friend told him that prior to the murder-suicide, Chris Benoit had been wearing a rosary, which he said was also out of character.

This is extremely important. While it can not be determined that the brain damage caused Benoit to snap ... we now have Benoit's diary. Benoit was displaying unusual character for himself for an extended period of time before the murders. Thus, proving once and for all that steroids had nothing to do with the murders.

Congratulations Randy Couture & Frank Mir

Randy Couture has been my favorite fighter since I was a kid, and he continues to prove that he is one of the greatest fighters of all time. He seems to get better as he gets older ... which is unheard of in this sport.

Randy defeated Gonzaga, and retained his title with a third round TKO.

I don't train at Randy's gym (Xtreme Couture, LV), but I look forward to meeting him one day.

The link above is Xtreme Couture's blog, and wait til you see who flew in to help Randy prepare for Gonzaga ... can you say Axe Murderer?

Also making a return to the UFC is former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.


Frank is the Jiu Jitsu coach at my gym, Striking Unlimited.

The website isn't finished yet, but it does have some pictures of the gym and our location. First class is free so you can check us out, and see if you like the place.

Frank continues his climb back to the pinnacle of MMA after recovering from his accident. You can check out Frank's blog here. Who knows, maybe one day Frank and Randy will meet in the octagon.

Congrats to both of you.

Rex Grossman's Critics Are Still Idiots

Well, it's all happening again. Rex Grossman's critics have already started in on the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

Many of you remember my column last year "Rex Grossman's Critics Are Idiots." I'm here to tell you that they are all STILL idiots!

In my first column (written at 4am on Ambien) I showed you that in spite of the criticism Grossman had a stellar first year as a starter compared to numerous hall of fame quarterbacks. Not to mention he helped his team get to the Super Bowl where he played well until he had to start coming from behind thanks to the poor play of the usually dominant Chicago defense.

The attacks this year are focussed on Grossman's last outing against the Colts and, as usual, completely ignore his previous game. In game one against the Texans, Grossman was great. He completed 80% of his passes, had no turnovers, and left the game with an 87.5 qb rating. Remember, Grossman marched his team up the field with ease, but the Bears failed to score because of special teams play.

In the game against the Colts, things didn't go as well overall for Grossman. So what! It's the preseason!

This time around, Grossman threw one INT while fumbling the ball 3 times (two at the snap ... the third could not have been avoided). He coughed the ball up to the Colts twice in the game. Of course, this means that Grossman should lose his job immediately according to some "experts."

AP:

It was a performance that did nothing to ease doubts about whether he can lead the Bears to another NFC championship.

Obviously, there is an overriding question as the season approaches. How long will coach Lovie Smith stick with Grossman?

He stayed with the quarterback when he struggled last season, but it's unlikely Smith will show as much patience this time. Not with the Bears' expectations soaring.

Grossman figures to start the remaining two preseason games and the opener against San Diego, but if he continues to falter, the calls for backup Brian Griese will likely reach a deafening level.

I like the assumption that Grossman will "continue" to make mistakes. This was written after only one poor performance, and it completely ignores the improvements Grossman made. We'll get to that later.

Vic Carucci - NFL.Com:

I think the Chicago Bears should be worried about Rex Grossman.

I think they should be worried that he is trying too hard to end his bumbling ways. I don't think they should be worried to the point of going with a different starting quarterback, namely Brian Griese, for the regular season. But I also don't think Grossman's multiple turnovers against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 20 should be dismissed as a function of preseason rust. He looked nervous. He looked jumpy. He looked uncomfortable.

For those of you familiar with Vic ... this is a stark contrast to his writings about Romo and Young. Both of them are perpetual fumblers, and error makers. Vic will point out the struggles they've had right before dismissing them, and talking about the confidence the team has in them, and the confidence they have in themselves. When Vic writes about Grossman, however, it's stark at best.

Scott Engel - ESPN:

Grossman will be the same erratic, up-and-down performer he was in 2007. He simply can't be trusted as a fantasy player.

Nice prediction, but Grossman won me a lot of fantasy games last year.

There is plenty more attacking out there, and much of it more personal, but you get the idea.

I told you that Grossman did improve on some things in the game against the Colts. By the end of the game his completion percentage was higher (81.8), he threw for more yards, average yards per throw went up, and he showed Bears fans that he was willing to run for a touchdown. That's been something he's been afraid to do since he tore his ACL.

No one who's writing about Grossman is even paying attention to the fact that he's completed 81% of his passes, that his footwork looks like the Rex of old, or that he is protecting the football better than last year (after the snap). These are all improvements being made by a young quarterback entering into his second season as a starter.

I'm not saying his performance was great, or even good. There is, however, signs of progress being ignored. Let's not forget that Grossman has been far superior to the other quarterbacks in camp this year. Why don't we talk about how bad Tom Brady has been this preseason? Maybe he's too distracted with his soon to be born child to play this year.

What amazes most is how little effort goes into sports writing as far as facts are concerned. It's all one dimensional and emotional responses without context. Not to mention the hypocrisy of sports writers. To them, the only good quarterback is a perfect quarterback, or at least one that can run fast.

Lord knows sports writers love quarterbacks that can't pass, but can run. Fumbles and inconsistencies be damned, but the moment Grossman commits 1/3 of the errors those "running qb's" do ... he's demonized because he isn't exciting.

Since Grossman is being criticized for fumbles ... let's examine some other qb's that fumble just as much as Grossman, and more.

In 2006, Grossman fumbled 8 times. If we are going to criticize him for fumbles we might as well criticize everyone else.

• Tom Brady - 12
• Drew Brees - 8
• Jay Cutler - 8
  
• Brett Favre - 8
• Damon Huard - 9
• Jon Kitna - 11
• Matt Leinart - 8
• J.P. Losman - 13
• Eli Manning - 9
• Carson Palmer - 15
• Philip Rivers - 8
• Tony Romo - 9 (10 Starts)
• Alex Smith - 10
• Michael Vick - 9
• Vince Young - 12

Many of these quarterbacks are considered top quarterbacks in the league. Young even made it to the Pro Bowl, and the cover of Madden, and he stunk last year. He performed worse than Grossman in every category, and won less games yet he is treated like some kind of hero.

No doubt some of those names surprised you ... like Brady and Palmer. Are any of the sports writers going to talk about those gremlins? Is anyone going to point out that Young has yet to prove he can actually throw a football? Nope.

My point with all of that was to prove that there are several qb's in the league, that are top qb's, who are more likely to fumble than Grossman. Yet no one is concerned about their history in failing to protect the ball. There is no indication in Grossman's history to suggest that he is a risk to consistently fumble the ball. Nor is there anything in his history to suggest that last year's errors were anything but an anomaly.

That's what you get with the Maddenisation of football. Everyone who plays Madden Football now thinks that they can coach a team, and that they can turn a bad player into an icon by adding to their attribute points. Problem is, that is fantasy ... this is reality.

It takes time for quarterbacks to develop, and for coaches to start winning. Football fans used to understand that, but not anymore. We've grown too impatient, and ignorant of how this game is played. As a result, great players are cast out because they didn't "develop" fast enough for us. Only to resurface several years later to show us all the great players they actually were, but with only a couple of years left in their careers.

Grossman has vowed that fumbling the snap will not be a problem, and has accepted full blame. That is the Grossman I've been watching since he suited up at Florida, and I haven't seen him since he tore his ACL. When I see Grossman jumping around like a little kid on Christmas morning again every time he makes big play ... I'll know he shut out all of his critics, and the real Rex Grossman will give us one hell of a show.

Friday Beatdown!

Watch this Muay Thai fighter hand the TKD fighter his ass.

Mayorga Talks Trash About Vargas's Wife ... Vargas Smacks Mayorga Around A Little Bit

Mayorga went too far, and Vargas let him have it with several solid blows. Mayorga is gonna have to do a lot better in the ring if he hopes to win this fight because he just got his ass handed to him by Vargas.

Benoit's Doctor Arrested, Charged

The strangest murder case in years is starting to show signs of normalcy. Unfortunately, the MSM's focus on steroids in the case has clouded the very relevant possible reasons for the murders.

The Smoking Gun:

Wrestler Chris Benoit was identified by Drug Enforcement Administration agents as an "excessive purchaser of injectable steroids" who, over the past year, was prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids every three to four weeks by a Georgia doctor who was indicted today on federal charges.

Ok, Benoit used steroids ... duh. That still isn't the reason for the murders.

Astin, 52, was named today in a seven-count indictment charging him with the illegal distribution of substances like Percocet and Xanax between April 2004 and September 2005.

BINGO! Percocet and Xanax are what folks? Psychotropic drugs! It doesn't take a lot of research to find out that there is a freaky correlation between the use of psychotropic drugs and mental breakdowns leading to murder. If Benoit did in fact murder his family ... this would likely be the cause ... not steroids.

Police are also hypothesizing that Benoit used the Crippler Crossface to kill his son (picture below).


I also find that it is extremely suspicious that no one has addressed if Benoit was really at the hospital because of his family's throwing up. Remember, Benoit told a co-worker that he was at the hospital before the murders happened. Well, was he or not?

Someone Knew About The Benoit Murders 13 Hours Before The Police, & It Wasn't Benoit

Now the mysterious poster is claiming that it was a tragic joke ... riiiight.

This is all a little too coincidental for me. While there are possible reasons to explain away the correlations between the Benoit deaths, Martel's death, and the links to Kevin Sullivan ... there is enough for a plausible conspiracy theory here.

As I wrote here ... a former wrestler has already indicted Sullivan as a possible murder suspect in the Benoit case, and I've made it very clear that steroids are merely a scapegoat here. Then all of a sudden we get some guy in New England who decides to play a "joke" on Wikipedia to say that Benoit missed his match because his wife was dead? Not to mention that joke was 13 hours before anyone knew about the murders, and it was before the eerie text messages allegedly sent by Benoit.

There's also a problem with the messages as well. Why would Benoit send the same message to the same person on two different phones?

The messages/phone calls also stated that Nancy, and their son, was throwing up. One even stated that Nancy was in the hospital. Obviously, we need to find out if this is true.

The office of Benoit's doctor was raided as well, but he still maintains that his prescriptions were legitimate.

Hours before the raid began Wednesday night, Dr. Phil Astin had told The Associated Press that he had treated Benoit for low testosterone levels. He said it was likely a result of previous steroid use.

We also know that the Benoit family argued about the care of their son.

A lawyer for the WWE said that Benoit argued with his wife over the care of their mentally retarded son in the days before the three were found dead in their Georgia home.

Attorney Jerry McDevitt said that the issue of caring for the 7-year-old child was a source of "stress and consternation" in the couple's relationship, though it wasn't the only problem in the marriage.

This case is odd to say the least, and I find it a little suspicious that someone would say Nancy was dead just hours before we all knew that. The person who changed the entry in Wikipedia also said that they wrote it in part because of "rumors." Why were there rumors of Nancy's death, and who was responsible for them?

Here's the full text of his apology:

Hey everyone. I am here to talk about the wikipedia comment that was left by myself. I just want to say that it was an incredible coincidence. Last weekend, I had heard about Chris Benoit no showing Vengeance because of a family emergency, and I had heard rumors about why that was. I was reading rumors and speculation about this matter online, and one of them included that his wife may have passed away, and I did the wrong thing by posting it on wikipedia to spite there being no evidence. I posted my speculation on the situation at the time and I am deeply sorry about this, and I was just as shocked as everyone when I heard that this actually would happen in real life. It is one of those things that just turned into a huge coincidence. That night I found out that what I posted, ended up actually happening, a 1 in 10,000 chance of happening, or so I thought. I was beyond wrong for posting wrongful information, and I am sorry to everyone for this. I just want everyone to know it was stupid of me, and I will never do anything like this again. I just posted something that was at that time a piece of wrong unsourced information that is typical on wikipedia, as it is done all the time.

Nonetheless, I feel incredibly bad for all the attention this got because of the fact that what I said turned out to be the truth. Like I said it was just a major coincidence, and I will never vandalize anything on wikipedia or post wrongful information. I've learned from this experience. I just can't believe what I wrote was actually the case, I've remained stunned and saddened over it.

I wish not to reveal my identity so I can keep me and my family out of this since they have nothing to do with anything. I am not connected to WWE or Benoit at all in anyway. I am from Stamford as the IP address shows, and I am just an everyday individual who posted a wrongful remark at the time that received so much attention because it turned out to actually happen. I will say again I didn't know anything about the Benoit tragedy, it was a terrible coincidence that I never saw coming.

I hope this puts an end to this speculation that someone knew about the tragedy before it was discovered. It was just a rumor that I had heard about from other people online who were speculating what the family emergency Chris was attending to. I made a big mistake by posting this comment on his page, since all we had were what we thought was going on and nothing about what actually was going on yet, and sadly what happened turned out to be my speculation at the time. I assumed wiki would edit out my information, which they did, so thats why I didn't go back to edit it out myself.

I know I keep repeating it but I feel terrible about the mainstream coverage this has received, since it was only a huge coincidence and a terrible event that should of never happened. I am not sure how to react, as hearing about my message becoming a huge part of the Benoit slayings made me feel terrible as everyone believes that it is connected to the tragedy, but it was just an awful coincidence. That is all I have to say, I will never post anything here again unless it is pure fact, no spam nothing like that. Thank you, and let this end this chapter of the Benoit story, and hopefully one day we will find out why this tragedy ever actually happened.

Maybe he didn't know anything about the murders, but where did he get the information from, and does THAT person know anything? I hope the authorities know his identity since he refuses to release it himself. Since when does anyone who's a part of an investigation get to maintain their anonymity?

Here's some more info to dispel the "roid rage" argument. If Benoit had the personality that everyone says he had ... then it is highly unlikely that steroids would have had this effect on him. Besides, you can't premeditate murder over a 3 day period on a "rage."

I would also like to point out that Martel's toxicology test haven't come back, and they are telling us it would take weeks for Benoit's. It will be interesting to note if there are any similarities with the substances in their bodies.

Did Chris Benoit Murder His Family, Or Was He Murdered?

This is an interesting take on the Benoit murders. Rev. Johnny Lee Clary (former wrestling champion) has hypothesized that Benoit and his family was murdered by Kevin Sullivan ... Nancy's ex.

Rev. Johnny Lee Clary:

The tragic deaths of Chris Benoit and his wife Nancy and son Daniel have shocked the wrestling world. The police are calling it a double-murder-suicide, but is it really? Let’s look at some facts. It has been 10 years exactly since Nancy divorced Kevin Sullivan to marry Chris Benoit. In the 1980’s Sullivan, along with his then-wife Nancy, were running a gimmick in wrestling of how they were Satanists, and Nancy was known as “The Fallen Angel.” She later became known as “Woman.” The trouble with the Satanists gimmick was it was for real, and was not a work, or fake. In the 1990’s Kevin Sullivan was the booker for WCW, and he scripted his wife Nancy into having an affair with Chris Benoit who was a member of the Four Horsemen. This made for a good angle, except, the acting became reality as Chris and Nancy actually fell in love and Nancy divorced Sullivan to marry Benoit.

Benoit left the WCW to go to work for the WWE which was then known as the WWF. It is a fact that Sullivan threatened Benoit and told him he would kill him. Yes, that was 10 years ago, but Kevin Sullivan is no dummy. He is known for being a calculating, cold-hearted individual. Today, according to a source close to me, Kevin Sullivan is a high ranking member of the Satanic Church. The police need to consider the possibility that Sullivan carried out these gruesome murders in order to have his revenge, which is what Satanists live for. He could have entered the home, with an accomplice or accomplices and held the Benoit’s at gunpoint, Sullivan could have then bound up Nancy, and made Benoit and his son watch as he strangled the life out of her. Then the next day after making Benoit and his son spend the day in agony, murdered Benoit’s little boy because of his hatred for the offspring of Benoit and Nancy. Then he could have made Benoit wait an entire day before killing him to by hanging him in the basement.

Hmmm ... interesting to say the least. I decided to check some of this out, and discovered a few things myself.

Aside from Nancy leaving Sullivan to be with Benoit ... Sullivan lost his job because of Benoit just a few short years ago.

According to Wikipedia (I know, but give me a break):

Sullivan is among those blamed for the 2000 departure of Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn from WCW, though by no direct action of his own. After the departure of Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, the resulting chaos led to Sullivan's promotion to head booker. This move infuriated a number of WCW wrestlers, given Sullivan's history of professional rivalries (notably Benoit) and poor decisions. Sullivan booked Benoit to win the WCW title at Souled Out 2000 in a desperate attempt to quell the uprising, but Benoit, Malenko, Guererro and Saturn would quit the night after, immediately signing with the WWF. Sullivan would be fired before WCW's sale in 2001.

Could this whole thing be a real life f--ked up wrestling storyline?

There is also another death that needs to be looked at as well. Sherri Martel was found dead just days before Benoit, and she was also associated with Sullivan. Her death is being treated as suspicious.

Here's the time line of the events leading to the Benoit family's demise.

On The Issue Of Chris Benoit

I have already begun to receive attacks for my stance on Chris Benoit's murder of his family. The media, and authorities, have already begun to use the scapegoat argument that steroids were possibly behind the murders. This is untrue. I provided my thoughts as to why this is untrue in my previous posts HERE, and HERE.

I was subsequently attacked by a few people in the comments, and in my email, for having more knowledge of steroids than they have. No, I have never used steroids ... though I was accused of being a roid head by these few idiots.

I was also accused of praising and idolizing Benoit ... also not true. I simply pointed out the scapegoat "roid rage" argument as being a convenient explanation. This doesn't allow us to know what really happened.

Today, Benoit's unusual text messages have been released to the public, and they clearly show that I was correct about there being no possibility of roid rage. The WWE also backed me up on the issue today as well.

Fox 5 Vegas:

Text Message 1 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:53 a.m.) - Chris Benoit's cell phone
"My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville Georgia. 30215"

Text Message 2 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:53 a.m.) - Chris Benoit's cell phone
"The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open"

Text Message 3 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:54 a.m.) - Nancy Benoit's cell phone
"My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215"

Text Message 4 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:55 a.m.) - Nancy Benoit's cell phone
"My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215"

Text Message 5 to one co-worker (sent 6/24 at 3:58 a.m.) - Nancy Benoit's cell phone
"My address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215"

The messages clearly show pre-meditation which would be impossible if Benoit was experiencing roid rage.

Some of my critics have pointed out that steroids were found in Benoit's house. So what. The presence of steroids is not proof that steroids were responsible for Benoit's actions. The steroids found were also prescription ... not illegal anabolic steroids. Which indicates treatment of an injury, or some other common problem.

The WWE issued a news release saying steroids "were not and could not be related to the cause of death."

It said the evidence indicates "deliberation, not rage," adding that Benoit tested negative April 10, the last time he was tested for drugs.

I am in no way defending Benoit, or steroid use. I am trying to find the real reason behind the murders. Was she going to leave him? Was there an affair? Was there another medical problem we aren't aware of that may have affected his mood? There are a thousand different questions that may have the answer, and if we focus on the steroid issue we may never know the truth.

UPDATE: Chris Benoit Murdered His Family, Then Self

I eluded to this a little yesterday when the story broke. Unfortunately, it was confirmed (except the religious part) today. Benoit did, in fact, murder his family before killing himself.

They are looking into steroids as a cause, but that is crap. Benoit has been wrestling for a very long time, and has maintained a similar physic for years. Yet he still has a great reputation as a very friendly guy ... both to fans, and his fellow wrestlers alike.

Steroids aren't responsible for this at all, and I'm saddened that this tragedy will be exploited by the anti-steroid lobby to lie to the public about the side effects of steroids. Some steroids do have roid rage symptoms, but they are well known, and often avoided by athletes. Other steroids will give you the same results without the side effects.

R.I.P. Chris Benoit

I haven't watched wrestling in a while now, but I was a big fan of Benoit's. Sadly, today he and his whole family were found dead. There wasn't any bullet or stab wounds, but it is still being investigated as a homicide. Benoit had canceled his pay-per-view match for ECW the day before citing "personal reasons."

ABC:

Wrestling star Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were found dead in their suburban Atlanta home Monday. Authorities are investigating the deaths as homicides.

I hope this doesn't turn out to be some religious sacrifice or something. Clearly there was some major event happening behind the scenes when he canceled his match ... only to turn up dead the next day with his family. The whole thing is very strange, and I hope we all know the truth soon.

By all accounts Benoit was one of the nicest people you'd ever meet ... especially for a wrestler. Here's a tribute I found on Youtube.

American Shatters Hot Dog Eating Record ... Brings Title Home

YES! I love competitive eating, and have been waiting for an American to finally bring the hot dog eating championship back to the US from Japan, and it finally happened!

AP:

A California man smashed the world record for hot dog eating at a contest Saturday, gobbling up more than 59 franks in 12 minutes.

Joey Chestnut, 22, of San Jose, shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan by downing 59½ "HBDs" - hot dogs and buns - during the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall in suburban Tempe.

Kobayashi's old record of 53¾ was set last year at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at Coney Island in New York.

For those of you new to competitive eating Kobayashi has dominated the hot dog scene for quite some time now. It's been an issue of pride for an American to regain the title, and bring it back home.

For all of Chestnut's trouble he won a free trip to New York, a year's supply of hot dogs and a $250 gift card to the mall. That may be a small prize purse, but his stomach is swelled with pride.