10 Things President Obama Must do to Improve Sports in America

I was and am a big Barack Obama supporter, and happy as a clam he was elected President.   Now, in the spirit of change and moving this country forward, I have come up with a modest list of what I believe are critical needs in the world of sports, issues I want to see our next President deal with immediately. 

Mr. President, I present the following for your consideration:

Ocho Cinc-O No!

Chad Johnson, I mean Chad Javon Ocho Cinco, will not be playing in the Bengals/Steelers game Thursday night because he violated a yada yada yada.

Who cares. That was not a question, that was a statement. Seriously, why is this guy news anymore? Because he changed his name from the boring, yet normal, Johnson, to freaking Ocho Cinco? (That's his jersey number, btw.)

Central Michigan vs. Ball State: THIS is College Football!

Ah, ESPN!  You own my heart on weekday nights! 

Last night we were treated to the Central Michigan Chippewas hosting #17 Ball State, a MAC battle royale, and four hours of televised college football that, once it ended, put me to bed grinning like an idiot.

Adam Jones Reinstated by NFL Commissioner Goodell

Way to make me look like an idiot, Mr. Goodell.  Not one week ago I wrote a post lauding you and the NFL for finally getting tough on ne'er do wells, malcontents and thugs, and used your example of Pacman Jones's suspension as a case in point.

And now, you have reinstated him.

America's Finest Mess: the San Diego Padres

The Padres have gone from annual contenders to fire sale auctioneers almost overnight.  Their owner is involved in a messy public divorce, forcing management to sell of the few useful parts the team has following an embarrasing 99-loss season.  Who's to blame and is there any hope for a turnaround?

College Football: Week Thirteen Picks

Last week all of the TOP TEN teams ranked in the BCS won, it was a predictable week. But this week brings us two HUGE games which will alter the rankings heading into the final two weeks of the season. #2 Texas Tech takes its undefeated record to #5 Oklahoma. The game has BCS and Big 12 conference championship implications. Also, #7 UTAH will try to lock up their second BCS busting bid with a victory against their hated rival #14 BYU to remain undefeated, with similar implications on the line. (See related article!)

Join me in predicting who will win the featured games by posting your list of winners in the comments section of this blog. I will compose a list of those of you who are regular contributors and rank your overall records which will be posted on this site. It's never to late to join! See if you can be a college football expert in predicting the winning teams. Good luck!

(Overall standings and my predictions for this week are in BOLD after the jump.)

Tennis: The ATP + WTA Tours Move Closer Together - Could a Commissioner Be Far Behind?

Could a commissioner or an umbrella organization overseeing both the ATP + WTA Tours come to fruition in the very near future?

Douglas Robson's article for USA Today investigates the possibilities of the two tours moving closer together as more events, particularly when the 2009 season rolls around, see the men and women playing more combined events or in back-to-back weeks including Madrid, Cincinnati, and Beijing.

College Football: The 17 Million Dollar Game

Utah hosts BYU on Saturday, November 22, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. (MST) on The Mtn. cable television station associated with Versus / CBS. It's a heated rivalry with a lot at stake this year.

Utah is 11-0, ranked #7, undefeated, and on the verge of being invited to play in a BCS bowl for the second time. Standing in their way is BYU, who is 10-1, ranked #14, and winners of the last two Utah-BYU games. BYU has one of the nations best offenses, while Utah is one of the nations top defensive teams. It should be a classic as the last two games between the Utes & Cougars have come down to whoever had the ball last.

If Utah wins, the payout for playing in a BCS game is around 17 million dollars. This will be my 29th consecutive time to attend this game, I of course will be wearing RED, cheering on the Utes, it's my favorite day of the year, better than sex, better than anything I can imagine, all I can say is.... GO UTES!

(More facts about the Utah-BYU rivalry are after the jump)

Mark Cuban Thinks Gay NBA Star Would Be A "Hero"

What if Kobe Bryant or LeBron James shocked the world and said they were gay?  Would they be vilified or would they be heros? 

Dallas Maverick's billionaire owner Mark Cuban thinks it's the latter. 

When asked in a recent interview about openly gay former basketball star John Amaechi, Cuban went on record in an outstanding show of support for gay athletes.

Wishbone #5: A Long Trip Home, part 1

Follow Casey Thompson, star quarterback for the Los Angeles Condors, as he struggles to come out of the closet and win - both on and off the field of play.

After Sunday’s game, and Sunday’s post-game threat by Condors’ owner Vincent Elston, Casey Thompson had simply gone home and gone right to bed, exhausted.  Depression is great for a person’s sleep.  When the phone rang at 4 a.m., Casey was still groggy, although he had been sleeping since 5 p.m. the evening before.