Fran slams Brett; Is Kentucky still happy about Calipari? CBS gets its money's worth

(5/29) Fran Tarkenton, the all-time quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, called Bret Favre’s conduct toward the Green Bay Packers despicable and said he hopes Favre does catch on with the Vikings this season so he can fail. Wow! Tell us how you really feel, Fran.

The NCAA is looking into infractions in the University of Memphis basketball program while now-Kentucky coach John Calipari was in charge. One of the three allegations is that one player didn’t take his own SAT. When Calipari was the head man at UMass, that school was slammed by the NCAA for basketball violations. So Kentucky, what did you really get? . . . Oh, and by the way, former Wildcats coach Billy Gillispie is suing Kentucky for $6 million.

CBS isn’t wasting any time in getting its money’s worth. Shortly after the network signed a amazing 15-year football deal with the SEC worth $2 Billion, it announced that its first game will be Tennessee at Florida - Lane Kiffin’s first trip to The Swamp.

Stories keep popping up that Boston wants to trade for Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The Georgia native’s career has taken a severe dip over the past several years. Francoeur has a .244 average in his last 210 games, dating back to September 2007. He’s averaged 16 homers and 96 RBIs. The mystery is, who would Atlanta get in return? It would seem it would have to be an outfielder.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Vassar named Antonia Sweet men’s volleyball coach.

Say it ain’t so. Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, still in jail for armed robbery, says he wants to try again with pro football. Maybe he and Michael Vick can be a package deal.

The American Football Coaches Association football poll, one of two human polls used to determine the BCS participants, won’t be public beginning next year. The coaches voted to make it secret. That’s just what the BCS needs is more secrecy and mystery. Who is their PR guy?

And finally, the other shoes have dropped. They have finally found a scape goat for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s troubles on the track. Crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has been replaced. Wonder how Junior won all those races in past year with Eury overseeing things?

This is Norman Arey and you’ll always know who I voted for in all football polls.

You need binoculars to find Dale Jr.; SEC commish says toughen up schedules

(5/28) Good to see that SEC commissioner Mike Slive met with the league’s basketball coaches during the conference’s annual meeting and asked them to schedule tougher out-of-league games in the future. Slive, who was head of the NCAA basketball selection committee, noted that weak non-conference foes resulted in only three SEC receiving bids and none survived the second round.

Last weekend’s Indianapolis 500 viewership was down almost 17 percent this year from last and then it watched the washed-out Coca-Cola 600 get better TV reviews. . . And speaking of NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has finished 27th or worse in four of his last five outings.

Just a warning for all you Oklahoma football fans out there who have picked the Sooners in the top three in the country. Even head coach Bob Stoops knows there’s a problem. The offensive is even worse than suspect and that’s got to be fixed in order for the Sooners to be a serious national player.

The Atlanta Falcons’ excellent showing last season in the NFL has failed to impress the bookmakers in Las Vegas. The bookies say the Birds will be no better than a .500 team.

Hot Dog! Exiled PGA golfer John Daly, who was banished from the pro tour for six months, will return next month and has a sponsor’s exemption for the St. Jude’s Tournament in Memphis. Since that’s within a nine-iron of his Arkansas home, he’ll have a heck of a gallery to welcome him back.

And yet another hole in college football’s argument against a true national championship. The colleges have always claimed that a playoff system would hurt charitable giving since many of the bowls are aligned with various charities. Now there’s a study out that says that very little bowl money actually reaches the charities.

It would appear that if open-wheel racing’s Danica Patrick is going to try and make a switch to NASCAR, now is the time. Patrick’s third-place finish at the Indy 500 over the weekend has spiked her popularity to new heights.

And finally, the NCAA’s decision on whether Florida State’s Bobby Bowden may have to forfeit up to 14 football victories won’t come this week as we had been told. The college governing body needs another week. Why?

This is Norman Arey and I’ve finished much worse than 27th - in the Peachtree Road Race.

Let's just see the SEC coaches do their thing; Kentucky basketball cleans house

(5/27) The Southeastern Conference is in the midst of its annual meeting down in Destin and the word is that commissioner Mike Slive is going to read the riot act to the league’s head football coaches. He’s supposed to tell them to basically keep their big mouths shut and not have their internal bickering spread across the sports pages.

I can understand why Slive might feel that way but I hope the coaches don’t listen. This has been great fun with Steve Spurrier, Lane Kiffin, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer all going at it. What could be more entertaining?

Remember all those five-star and four-star basketball players new Kentucky coach John Calipari signed? The signees put the Wildcats over the NCAA limit of 13 basketball scholarships. A press release announced that Jared Carter, A.J. Stewart and Donald Williams won’t return to the basketball team next year. Never heard of them? That’s the point.

At least we know she’s a good sport. President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, has had some high stakes dealings with the sporting world. She was very involved with Major League Baseball’s eight-month-long strike in ‘94-‘95 and she was intricately interwoven in Ohio State’s Maurice Clarett’s challenge of the NFL’s age limitations. Maybe she can get us a national playoffs since the president doesn’t seem to making any progress.

The question is being asked publicly now if its time for the Atlanta Braves to try and get rid of outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Interesting question. A more interesting question is who could they get for him and who would give it?

The reason most quoted by the college powers that be is that a national playoff isn’t possible because of the harm it would do to The Bowl System - in capital letters. Just read a brief that the SEC and Big 10 are at odds with the Citrus Bowl in Orlando because of its lack of renovations. In other words, The Bowl System is sacrosanct only if it has bright shiny new stuff?

Here’s what the Orlando Magic’s Jeff Van Gundy says about the possibility of his team crashing the Cavaliers-Lakers NBA finals that everyone is expecting. "This isn’t the BCS," he said. "People don’t get to vote for who they want to see. We’re not in that ridiculous system This is real sport."

And finally, Georgia Tech has become the first NCAA member in the country, at least that I could find, that has made the decision to out-source its ticket sales for football and men’s basketball. Can’t wait to see how that works out.

This is Norman Arey and I need some renovation work done, too.

It's all-about-me-Notre Dame is at it again; watch out for Wake Forest football--again

(5/26) Boy, was yesterday a slow day in sports

Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick has been publicly talking about playing Army in the new Yankee Stadium. Only problem is, Army AD Kevin Anderson hasn’t been consulted about it. "He hasn’t talked to me about it," Anderson said. "I guess he’s negotiating in the newspapers." That’s so typical of the It’s-All-About-Me-Irish.

New York Times columnist Harvey Araton made a good point in a column about Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick. He wrote that Roger Goodell will learn more about the person Michael Vick has become when he has returned to the good life, more than watching him beg forgiveness during additional time off.

Just a thought but perhaps failed presidential candidate John Edwards should watch what Phil Mickelson is doing.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers announced they had reached an agreement with a Chinese group to own part of the NBA franchise, my immediately reaction was, Why? Maybe the Cavs need the cash but why would the Chinese want to own part of an NBA franchise?

This is kind of embarrassing but some Internet sports site came up with the Kurt Rambis All-NBA team. I found the site once but now I can’t relocate it. Anyway, it’s dedicated to those pro players who work hard, do the dirty work and basically are ignored by the public. Former Duke player Shane Battier, now with the Houston Rockets, was chosen captain of the inaugural team. The Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford was on the eastern division first team.

And speaking of the NBA, the latest rumor is that Spanish basketball star Ricky Rubio, who has been projected to be a top two pick in the draft, may not enter the NBA this year. Seems he doesn’t want to play for the Kings, Thunder, Grizzlies or or any of those other also-ran NBA teams.

And finally, I can’t go an entire commentary without mentioning college football. Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe has had so much recent success, it’ll be hard for the Demon Deacons to sneak up on anybody this year. But quarterback Riley Skinner may still lead the Deacs to a major bowl. Skinner, a red shirt senior, has started 26 of Wake’s past 28 wins. He could also set an NCAA mark for passing accuracy.

This is Norman Arey and I’m fairly accurate but I’ve never been a red shirt.

Could Ole Miss football be in trouble? Vols' Kiffin in the news yet again

(5/25) You remember Ryan Leaf, yes? He and Peyton Manning were the No. 1 and No. 2 draft choices in the NFL draft in 1998. Leaf, who bombed as an NFL quarterback with the San Diego Chargers, has been charged with drug and burglary charges.

Top recruiting classes in college basketball, according to The Sports News Today are Kentucky at No. 1, followed by Kansas, Arizona, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State.

Uh-oh. The NCAA is sniffing around the Ole Miss football program. Coach Houston Nutt and some of his assistants were reported for talking about recruits before they signed with the Rebs. . . Good old Lane Kiffin. Always good for a story a week, it seems. This time the Tennessee coach is reported to be getting rid of strength and conditioning coach Mark Smith, one of his first hires. And the Vols haven’t even played a game yet. . . The Big XII distributed a record $130 million to its member institutions this year.

Obscure College Hires and Fires: The Armed Forces Bowl announced the resignation of Tom Start, executive director.

The question asked by Rivals.Com was which assistant college football coach will be a head coach by this time next year. The consensus was Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong with Oklahoma’s Kevin Wilson and Jay Norvell also mentioned.

If you believe where there’s smoke, there’s fire, then open-wheel racer Danica Patrick may be headed to the NASCAR circuit soon. The rumors this week about Patrick switching to race with the Good ‘Ol Boys have been overwhelming.

Tom Glavine’s rehab start for the Gwinnett Braves was a little rocky over the weekend. The lefty allowed three runs and five hits in three innings.

And finally, Florida’s star underclassman guard Nick Calathes has reportedly made up his mind and if he’s not drafted by the NBA, he’ll play professionally in Greece. Meanwhile, Kentucky superstar guard Jodie Meeks has still to announce whether he’ll return to school. But when asked about the Wildcats’ new coach John Calipari, Meeks said. "He seems like a great guy. I can’t wait to play for him." Then he added, "If I come back."

This is Norman Arey and I plan on returning each year.

Hey, commish, this ain't brain surgery, it's college football; who's the fittest of them all?

(5/22) Possibly Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delaney has uttered the most arrogant proclamation of his public life. Delaney, one of the two main reasons college football doesn’t have a play-off, said after President Barack Obama called for a true play-off system, that perhaps the Prez doesn’t understand the complexities involved with a playoff. Perhaps Obama should invite the Commish to try his hand at budget-balancing.

The Oregon State House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring its universities to interview a minority candidate before hiring a head coach or athletics director.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Niagara University named Chris MacKenzie women’s hockey coach.

Read it and weep. Men’s Fitness Magazine has selected Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal as the fittest person in America. (I had voted for Michael Vick). Oh, and I would be lax if I didn’t mention that Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was close to the top of the list.

So it’s not just Georgia. The Gainesville Sun reports that the University of Florida football team has had 23 players arrested during Urban Meyer’s four-plus years at the school.

Just what we need, Notre Dame playing football in the new Yankee Stadium. The Irish have made inquiries and say they’d like to play Army in the Big Apple. Yeah, who wouldn’t?

The fact that the Atlanta Falcons own the contractual rights to Michael Vick is like owning the rights to all of Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin’s speeches.

Another word on Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari’s fabulous recruiting season. The Wildcats are several players over the NCAA scholarship limit of 13 for basketball and something’s gotta give. Still, the biggest positive could be the return of Patrick Patterson, who could be a first-time All-America next season if there are enough basketballs to go around with this group.

And finally, in news you can’t go another day without, a Mets’ fan dropped her gold tooth in a toilet during the Mets game against Atlanta last week. She immediately went after it, but got her arm stuck in the toilet. The extraction of her arm took an hour, plus she failed to recover her tooth. Now you know it all.

This is Norman Arey and I belonged somewhere on the Fitness List.

If Buffalo gives Terrell Owens the key to the city, what would Michael Vick get?

(5/21) All right, Mr. President. Taking shots at Notre Dame. President Barack Obama told Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins the controversy and heckling he received during the Irish commencement paled in comparison as to what to do about their football team. "That’s an issue we may not resolve in my four years," said the Prez. (High Five).

NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal has enrolled in a broadcasting class at Syracuse University. The school, known for its electronic journalism school, says O’Neal secured the first interview with Duke basketball player Greg Paulus after Paulus signed to play football for The Orange next season.

The Atlanta Braves are fourth in Major League Baseball in attendance decline. Washington leads the way with a 33 percent drop followed by Detroit’s 29 percent, New York Mets’ 22 percent and then the Braves 18 percent.

If anyone cares, and I’m not sure they do, the U.S. has only two tennis players ranked in the Top 25 and none in the Top Five.

With Michael Vick now out of jail, the Internet is filled with rumors. The best I saw was that the Buffalo Bills are most likely to take the dog-murderer. Hey, they drafted Terrell Owens and then presented him with the key to the city. Besides, it’s so cold up there, nobody really pays close attention to what’s going on.

John Smoltz re-married over the weekend, exchanging vows with Kathryn Darden. The Red Sox and former Braves’ pitcher has four children by a previous marriage while she has two. Shows how much I know. I didn’t realize he was divorced. . . And along those same lines, kind of, pitcher Tom Glavine and wife Chris have adopted a four-week-old son.

Kind of an unlikely alliance when former Alabama and Oakland Raider quarterback Kenny "The Snake" Stabler was named Grand Marshal for the Toyota/SaveMart NASCAR race. If you remember, Stabler is no longer announcing Crimson Tide games because of a drunken driving incident. It was reportedly his third.

And finally, in several projected NBA mock drafts, both point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington of North Carolina were predicted to go ahead of former national Player-of-the Year Tyler Hansbrough.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve never been re-married or adopted.

What John Calipari has done at Kentucky is assemble the greatest recruiting class ever

(5/20) The nation’s No. 1 basketball recruit, 6-foot-4 point guard John Wall out of Raleigh, N.C., has picked Kentucky, thus ending a seemingly endless recruiting process. Kentucky’s procurement of Wall beat out Miami, Duke and Florida.

Ladies and gentlemen, if all of coach John Calipari’s recruits qualify academically, the assembled group in Lexington will be something to behold.

Besides Wall, Kentucky has three other five-star prospects in its ‘09 class. Wall joins No. 2-ranked DeMarcus Cousins, No. 22-ranked Daniel Orton, No. 23 Erick Bledsoe and four-star prospects John Hood and Darnell Dodson.

And I don’t want to hear any gasps from the University of Michigan Fab Five Fans when I say that if everyone makes it to Lexington, this could be the greatest recruiting class in NCAA college basketball history.

It’s OK with me if it doesn’t bother him: Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik is working without a formal contract five months after he was hired. He does have a letter of agreement, for whatever that’s worth.

Hot dog. Another huge game to dream about during the off-season. Georgia will play the mighty Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette to open their 2010 season.

I’m not sure what to make of this, considering the Atlanta Braves are in the thick of the NL East race, but in Atlanta’s 5-1 loss to Colorado Monday, only 15,364 fans purchased tickets -- the smallest paid crowd since the stadium open in 1997.

Quote(s) of the Day: From who else but Lou Holtz during a Sporting News Today.com interview: "I thought I was retired. ESPN found out that I was retarded."

-His favorite physical attribute about himself? "None, I’m small, weak and unattractive."

-His least favorite physical attribute: "I look like I have Beriberi and Scurvy."

Obscure Athletic personnel move of the Day: Utah State fired softball coach Candi Letts.

Oops, just a minor oversight, I’m sure. Notre Dame has left out coach Charlie Weis’ 3-9 record from his 2007 season in his biography in the Irish football media guide.

And finally, I read with disbelief that one of basketball’s all-time players, Jerry West, played his entire career with atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disturbance. My gosh, think what he could have done if he were healthy.

This is Norman Arey with no signs of Beriberi or atrial fib - yet.

Hey folks, get the dogs in: Vick is being released this week; no 'superstar' status likely

(5/19) With former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick getting out of prison this week to go home to serve his remaining two months under house arrest, there’s a lot of talk about whether we’ll see Vick again in the NFL. Maybe so but folks, he’s not going to step in and be some superstar at quarterback. He just wasn’t that great anyway. And as if on cue, the AJC offers this statistic: Vick was 2-6 down the stretch of his last NFL season, losing 14 of his last 24 starts.

Ask the best player in the game today to name his all-time NBA team, as Dan Patrick did, and here’s LeBron James’ all-time team: Point guard - Magic Johnson, shooting guard - Michael Jordan; strong forward - LeBron James; power forward Kevin Garnett; center - Shaquille O’Neal. And LeBron picked James Naismith as coach. "We can’t lose with the guy who invented the game."

Word is that the Atlanta Hawks are shopping two of their high draft choices - Marvin Williams and Acie Law IV.

It’s official -- the economy is in the toilet. Even Nike has announced its cutting more than 1,750 jobs. . . Maybe Major League Baseball has finally made a positive decision as far as its fan base. MLB says it’s thinking about starting some World Series games before 8 p.m. this season.

The NASCAR guys are spooked about drug testing. Mark Martin called Dr. David Black who runs the drug-testing lab for the racing circuit and inquired if taking anti-inflammatory drugs was OK.

An unnamed NFL scout predicts that Florida quarterback Tim Tebow would be a second round pick in next year’s draft, although he concedes he could be a late first-rounder. He compared Tebow to Steve Young but said Tebow probably isn’t prepared as well as Young was as far a reading defenses in the pro league.

Hard up for heroes in Buffalo. New Bills’ receiver Terrell Owens showed up for his first voluntary workout in Buffalo over the weekend and was presented the key to the city. Imagine what would happen if he caught a pass in a game!

And news that I can live without, former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden will replace Tony Kornheiser on Monday Night Football. I don’t care.

This is Norman Arey hoping to be a candidate for the key to the men's room.

Georgia may have bitten off more than it can chew against Oklahoma Sept. 5

(5/18) One rumor that just won’t go away is that if Urban Meyer wins another national title at Florida, he’d head to South Bend to resurrect the Notre Dame program. A native of Ohio, Meyer has called Notre Dame his "dream job" on several occasions. Of course, Steve Spurrier couldn’t help himself by referring to it during a radio interview, which later prompted Meyer to say, "I am not going to Notre Dame." Oh, well.

Kentucky’s John Calipari is thinking outside the box. He says he can see the Wildcats playing their annual blue-white basketball game in the Wildcats’ Memorial football stadium. He’d also like to establish some neutral site annual games, such as Duke in Atlanta or Notre Dame in Louisville.

Remember this name? Wake Forest has hired former football, basketball and baseball star Rusty LaRue as an assistant basketball coach.

Obscure Hire of the Day: Cincinnati has named Susan Seaton as women’s outdoor track and field coach.

With all the talk about Florida winning yet another mythical national football title, there’s another team in the SEC that is getting consistent billing as a Top 10 team. Ole Miss is in every pre-season poll I’ve seen and the Rebels have one of the country’s top quarterbacks in Jevan Snead. There hasn’t been this much Mississippi talk since Johnny Vaught was running things in Oxford. The Rebs have a very soft out-of-conference schedule and three of their toughest SEC games (LSU, Alabama, Tennessee) will be played at home.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson is rated the No. 4 quarterback in all the land by Rivals.Com. That makes the Oklahoma State-Georgia game on Sept. 5 that much more interesting.

Delaware, of all places, is now the only state east of the Mississippi River that has legalized sports wagering. The bill was signed into law last week.

And just a word on Notre Dame. The Irish have 10 starters returning on offense and experience across the board. Other than a home date with Southern Cal, the schedule is exceptionally soft. I think Charlie Weis will have to win double-digit games for the wolves to leave his front door step.

This is Norman Arey and I’m on my way to Delaware.

Tennessee not welcome on high school campus; watch out for wild women

(5/15) The principal of Pahokee High School in Florida kicked Tennessee’s recruiters off campus this week and said they’re not welcome until Vol head coach Lane Kiffin comes down and apologizes in person for insulting the school. Kiffin evidently implied the school and community were inept after he recruited superstar receiver Nu’Keese Richardson.

Best I can figure, Raleigh, N.C., point guard John Wall’s recruitment this year is college basketball’s equivalent to college football’s recruitment of Tyrelle Pryor last year. Everybody wants the guy but he’s definitely a one-and-doner.

Best owner in MLB? John Henry of the Boston Red Sox, according to SI.Com. The worst? Peter Angelos of the Baltimore Orioles. Best NFL Owner: The Rooney Family in Pittsburgh; The Worst? Oakland’s Al Davis. Best NBA owner? Jerry Buss of the Lakers; The Worst? Donald Sterling of the L.A. Clippers. My only comment is how in the world could they have left out the jokes who own the Hawks and Thrashers in Atlanta?

Here’s one to create some arguments. Tom Bowles of SI.Com ranks his Top NASCAR drivers. They are, in order, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch.

Name of the Week: Jose Jose, a 6-foot-2, 335 pound lineman from Miami who has committed to Tennessee.

Courtesy of intrepid reader Joey Mac is his nomination for the softest non-conference college football schedule: Penn State plays Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois. No wonder FSU’s Bobby Bowden is concerned about his race with PSU’s Joe Paterno.

Stupid Stuff: Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps’ mom, Debbie, is worried about her son’s dating habits and has asked him to avoid "wild women." . . . Officials of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) were concerned when they heard former Falcon Michael Vick might do public service announcements for their organization. They suggested he instead undergo psychiatric evaluation. . . Dennis Rodman is back on the sauce after recently undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse.

This is Norman Arey and I never avoided wild women.

Who's the fairest in all the land in college football coaching? He ain't at Notre Dame

(5/14) I apologize up front but I’ve never met a list that I didn’t like and I’ve got a doozy for today. I have in my hands a list of the Top 30 college football coaches in America.

This was compiled by Rivals.Com and some of the names are agreeable enough, but others just don’t belong there.

OK. Urban Meyer at Florida is No. 1 and I’d be hard pressed to disagree. He will, after all, be going for this third national title in four years. Kind of hard to argue, there.

Then Bob Stoops at Oklahoma has the second spot. I disagree. He’s been in four BCS title games, but how many has he won? Sorry, Bob, but I feel you’re overrated.

See how easy that was? So here’s a quick run through my top coaches. I’ll be put Rivals ranking in parenthesis.

No. 2 in my book is Pete Carroll at Southern Cal. (4). Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe is No. 3 on my list (7) followed by No. 4 Frank Beamer (9) at Virginia Tech and No. 5 Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. (21).

I do understand that Spurrier would not be in most folks' Top Five and I would have to agree that the Evil Genius has lost a half-step but he’s still the best offensive mind in college football.

Coming up with the second five is even more difficult. Some would argue, as Rivals does, that Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz belongs up pretty high. Rivals has him at No. 5. I disagree. Brian Kelly at Cincinnati is listed eighth. He may eventually belong in the Top 10 but I’d wait another couple of seasons. And besides, winning the Big East isn’t exactly a gargantuan feat.

I think my second five would include Alabama’s Nick Saban (3), Rich Rodriguez of Michigan (11), Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (incredibly not even listed by Rivals), Texas Tech’s Mike Leach and Mark Richt at Georgia (10).

I include Leach so high because whether you like his outspoken ways or not, he has done more to change and, yes, revolutionize college football than anyone since Spurrier.

Others who certainly belong include UConn’s Randy Edsall (20), Butch Davis at North Carolina (not in Rivals Top 30), Fresno State’s Pat Hill (also not listed) and Tom O’Brien at N.C. State (14).

The one place Rivals and I are in total agreement is that Notre Dame’s Charlie Weiss isn’t even listed in "Others."

This is Norman Arey and Rivals should probably hire me.

Pressure?  What pressure? Are the Thrashers history? Post-Tiger era? Ridiculous.

(5/13) Sporting News Today reports that there are five teams in the NFL who’ll be heading to camp in July with no idea who will be their quarterback. The five include Denver, Detroit, Minnesota, the New York Jets and Tampa Bay. The two most interesting battles will be in Detroit and New York. The Lions’ have Daunte Culpepper set to battle ex-Georgia star Matt Stafford while the Jets will watch Kellen Clemens try to hold off Mark Sanchez.

According to Canadian newspaper The Hamilton Spectator, Vancouver is making a strong bid to entice the Atlanta Thrashers to come northwest. Seems like another Canadian city - Calgary - has already done that when the Flames were in town.

Seems like a strange choice that Tennessee quarterback B.J. Coleman has transferred to UT-Chattanooga. The Mocs just found out that they can’t play in the post-season because of not making NCAA academic minimum requirements.

And just in case you can’t keep up, there have been 23 head football coaching changes in the college ranks since last season ended.

CBS, which owns the rights to the greatest spectacle in sports, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, says the greatest tournament moment ever was the Jimmy Valvano run in 1983 when the N.C. State Wolfpack won it all.

I just read a golf column on the Internet asking if we might be in the post-Tiger Woods era? Give me, and especially him, a break. He sits out six months, has surgery, comes back and has a chance to win three different tournaments and we’re asking is he over the hill? Ludicrous.

Fox Sports published a public poll asking if fans would be OK if their particular NFL team took Michael Vick once he’s granted entry back into the league. Amazingly, 72 percent of the people said yes.

With college football spring practice over, a question when the season starts up in the fall is who will be under the most pressure. FoxSports suggests the following: Wisconsin, Steve Spurrier, Miami, Tim Tebow, West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin.

This is Norman Arey and I love pressure - bring it on.

Kiffin is running 'em off at UT; Ralph Friedgen is slimming down-- to 301 pounds

(5/12) Kentucky may have secured itself a Top 5 pre-season ranking in basketball when Patrick Patterson announced he would be forgoing the NBA to come back to Lexington. New coach John Calipari has recruited so well since he arrived, bringing in big men DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton, and guard Eric Bledsoe.

Former Georgia Tech and now Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen has lost 86 pounds and he’s not through yet. Friedgen said he started the diet in October when his weight reached 401 pounds. His immediate goal is 301 pounds.

National basketball champion North Carolina visited President Barack Obama at the White House. No word on if they had a shoot-a-round with the Prez.

In the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate, Duke led the ACC in football followed by Miami, Boston College, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech. In men’s basketball, N.C. State was atop the rankings with Duke and North Carolina tied for second.

NBA Draft.net says the New York Knicks will use their first pick to draft Davidson College’s Stephen Curry. The Knicks have assured Curry they will draft him in the No. 8 slot in the first round.

The L.A. Dodgers sold more than 1,800 Manny Ramirez wigs this year. In addition, the superstar’s T-shirts sold more than 5,000 and game jerseys 850.

The Boston Globe reports that three NFL teams currently have five quarterbacks on their rosters, including the Steelers, 49ers and Bucs. Twenty of the league’s 32 teams have four and nine teams currently have three.

Whether Lane Kiffin can win football games at Tennessee is anyone’s guess, but he’s not everyone’s cup of tea. A total of 11 players on scholarship have left the Vol program since Kiffin was hired, including four after spring practice ended.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reports that the two Georgia players suspended for violating team rules actually failed a drug test. Tight end Bruce Figgins has been suspended for the Bulldogs’ first six games after failing a drug test for a second time while defensive end Justin Houston will sit out two contests.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve never failed a drug test

Drugging and driving just don't mix; no more blue turf for ACC; Tebow is ubiquitous

(5/11) The ACC won’t be making any more trips late in the year to play a football game on blue turf in Boise. The conference has replaced its ties to the Humanitarian Bowl with the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. I don’t know. I think I’d just as soon go to Boise.

An article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press says that if the Minnesota Vikings are unable to land free agent Brett Favre, their Plan B would be to go after Michael Vick when his prison term is up. That sounds more like a Plan F.

Less than two weeks after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a story about how this off-season had been smooth sailing as far as UGA footballers being in trouble or arrested, three were disciplined for breaking team rules. Tight end Bruce Figgins, defensive end Justin Houston and receiver Tony Wilson will all sit out games next season.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Mars Hill College named Jennifer Nance senior women’s administrator.

The word out of Syracuse is that Duke point guard Greg Paulus could end up as the starting quarterback for the Orange if he should transfer to play for coach Doug Marrone.

And in his spare time . . . Florida Governor Charlie Crist has appointed Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as co-chair on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness for the state of Florida.

And now, Bo Knows Education. Bo Jackson, who matriculated at Auburn in the ‘80s and got his degree in 1995, gave the commencement address at Auburn over the weekend.

Amidst rumors that entertainer Jimmy Buffett might become a part-owner of the Miami Dolphins, a deal was announced to call Dolphin Stadium Land Shark Stadium for one year, named after Buffett’s beer brand.

There’s not much to say about the Atlanta Hawks’ showing against the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James, so I won’t. Every loss has been so lopsided, you really can’t call it a contest.

It is scary when NASCAR starts banning drivers and crew members for testing positive for drug abuse. It’s one thing to be using and carrying a football or hitting a baseball, and it’s another to be driving a two-ton machine 200 mph. Driver Jeremy Mayfield got caught as did two crew members for other drivers.

This is Norman Arey and I’ve never been appointed anything by a governor.

You know you're a super star when ... women's underwear 'bares' your name

(5/8) Dodger outfielder Manny Ramirez has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for violating its drug policy. So the question remains, is there anyone out there in pro baseball who’s clean? It reminds me of having a wrist watch that works -- sometimes. You can never depend on it and that’s the way I feel about baseball. It’s amazing how people still flock to the ball parks and MLB keeps paying outrageous salaries when it’s all a big lie.

Hey Joe, don’t go. Penn State’s Joe Paterno told a Nittany Lion gathering in Washington, D.C., that he hopes to coach "three or four more years" and that he hopes his successor isn’t appointed until after he’s gone. So Bobby, it’s your move down there in Tallahassee.

Could we see NFL coaches go on strike? It’s possible. Because of an NFL-mandated change in the pension plans for coaches and other front office personnel, coaches are upset. There’s even talk of a one-day walkout and some have said they’ll quit.

Not only is Georgia Tech not winning men’s basketball games but it sounds as if the players aren’t going to class either. The Yellow Jackets were the lone ACC team to fail the NCAA’s academic progress review.

Obscure Athletic transaction of the day: Austin Peay announced it will not renew the contract of tennis coach Ed Dickson.

Arey’s Tabloid of Sports (or things you can’t go another day without knowing):Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is a devotee of hard rock. . . Former Braves’ pitcher John Smoltz says he wants to play pro golf when he retires from baseball. . . Tubby Smith attended an Elton John/Billy Joel concert. . . Far to the left were pro golfer Phil Mickelson and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow playing a round of golf together -- both left-handers. . . Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says he will proceed with his suit against the Bowl Championship Series, no matter what Congress does.

And last but not least, you know that you’ve arrived as a celebrity when women’s underwear is being named after you. There are panties being sold on the Internet called "Tee-Bows" named after the above-mentioned Tim Tebow. The ad says they’re for your favorite Gator gal.

This is Norman Arey with no underwear bearing my name.

Think about it, Bulldog fans: Do you really want to upgrade non-SEC schedule?

(5/7) The Raleigh News & Observer’s Caulton Tudor writes that possibly only three players will return next season off of the top three all-ACC basketball teams. His point was the league could be thread-bare of established stars. It’s subjective but the top player returning is Duke’s Kyle Singler.

Some things just don’t make sense. The NAACP has presented a lifetime achievement award to L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Less than 90 days ago, former NBA star Elgin Baylor filed a lawsuit against this same man accusing him of racism and embracing a vision of a "Southern Plantation-type structure." Sounds like Baylor’s suit took a hit.

Just a day after Penn State icon Joe Paterno called for the Big 10 to expand to 12 teams in order to accommodate a league playoff, conference commissioner Jim Delaney shot down the idea. I’m beginning to think the commish, a North Carolina graduate and lawyer, is the problem with college football. How many times has the Big 10 and/or the Rose Bowl stood in the way of progress in the college game?

Not only am I sick of reading about Brett Favre’s will-he-or-won’t-he, I’m just as tired of reading about former Miami quarterback Robert Marve. (notice the similarity in spelling?) Marve has seemingly circled the globe more times than a NASA satellite seeking a new team. Robert, go somewhere and get on with your life.

I laughed when I read a Georgia football blog that said Bulldog fans yearn for the ‘Dogs to upgrade their non-league schedule. Some of the teams mentioned as most likely opponents from the fans’ standpoint were Texas and Michigan. Yeah, that looks good on paper but Dog fans like wins and they’re not likely to see any ‘Ws’ coming out of a home-and-home with those two.

And finally, super-agent Scott Boros told the L.A. Times he’d like to see a best-of-nine World Series with the first two games played at neutral sites. I like it except I’d keep it to seven games.

This is Norman Arey reporting that no one from MLB has asked my opinion on anything

Sam Huff is a man after my own heart; Florida, Alabama stars undergo surgery

(5/6) Sam Huff, the former West Virginia and Washington Redskin linebacker, always has an opinion. Huff was asked about Michael Vick, the ex-Falcon quarterback who is in jail for dog fighting. "I have no sympathy for Michael Vick," Huff said. "I think they ought to turn him loose with the dogs. That’s what I think of Michael Vick." Tell it all, Sam.

Things we don’t think about: Cal-Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium is undergoing some seismic improvements to guard against damage from a major earthquake. Wonder if Sanford Stadium has done the same?

The NBA has announced that 103 underclassmen have applied for the draft, which will be held June 25. The total includes 74 U.S. college players and 29 international players.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: NYU named Todd Kolean as men’s and women’s golf coach.

Georgia will pay New Mexico State $925,000 to come to Athens in 2011 to play a football game, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. The sum is more than the Bulldogs ever have paid an opponent. Just shows how much wins are worth these days.

Two big-time casualties of spring football included Alabama wideout Julio Jones, who underwent surgery for a sports hernia, and Florida backup quarterback John Brantley, who had surgery for a chronic ankle problem. Both will be ready for fall practice.

Quote of the Day, I think: NASCAR driver Kyle Busch said this to the Daytona Beach News-Journal: "I’m here to be myself, man. I am who I am. Everybody is who they are, for whatever reason. I don’t think it’s necessarily the way you’re raised or where you’re raised or whatever. I just think what you believe in, what your beliefs are, what all happens around you as you grow up and stuff." What!

Margaritaville must not be as affected by the economy as much as some other places. Singer Jimmy Buffett is rumored to be interested in becoming a part-owner of the Miami Dolphins.

This is Norman Arey and I’m constantly having seismic experiences.

Tough

Bruce Pearl announces his engagement; ex-wife puts 'Alimony' to work

(5/5) Tough economic times are forcing colleges to cut everything from air travel to teams. The University of Cincinnati cut its cross-country, swimming and track teams; UMass said goodbye to its skiing team; Stanford did away with fencing; and the University of Washington sliced its swimming teams.

At the same time, some folks are more than pleased with their athletic investments. A spokesman for the U.S. Army said it will spend $11.6 million to sponsor Ryan Newman’s car on the NASCAR circuit but they feel it’s worth it. Forty-one young people signed up to be interviewed by a U.S. Army recruiter at the NASCAR race in Richmond over the weekend.

Top basketball recruit John Wall, on just about everyone’s recruiting list including Duke, was cited with breaking and entering in Raleigh, N.C. The All-Everything point guard had narrowed his college choices to eight before his arrest. Many felt the 6-foot-4 player could have gone straight to the NBA out of high school. How stupid and how tragic.

Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl says he’s engaged to Brandy Miller, a native of Sevierville, Tenn. Pearl had been rumored to be going to Memphis but he told a crowd as he introduced her that "if you think I’m leaving that for Memphis, you’re wrong." Pearl, who was divorced from wife Kim last year, found out that his ex-wife also enjoys Tennessee. She's already opened a beauty salon in Knoxville, appropriately called "Alimony’s."

The NCAA has shortened the window college underclassmen basketball players have to declare for the NBA draft. Next year the date for announcing will be May 8, not mid-June as it is this season.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Wright State named Bryan Davis men’s soccer coach.

Arey’s Tabloid of Athletics (or things you can’t go another day without knowing): St. Louis’ Albert Pujols and his family visited the White House and the Cards’ first baseman left a signed jersey and some baseballs for President Barack Obama. . . Aaron Stewart, son of deceased PGA player Payne Stewart, is a freshman golfer at SMU. . . Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he hasn’t watched one replay of the Steelers’ win over Arizona in the Super Bowl. . . Drive Matt Kenseth is worried about the swine flu and washes his hands a lot. . . And finally, former Knicks’ center Patrick Ewing bumped his head while dining at the Water Works Restaurant in Philadelphia. (Who thinks up these things?)

This is Norman Arey and one time I took stitches in my head after bumping it in a press box in Memorial Stadium in DeKalb County.

Michael Vick to be a 49er? Time for a 12th team in the Big 10? Look out, Big East

(5/4) An article in the Pioneer Press in Minnesota says that Michael Vick will likely end up with the San Francisco 49ers. There was no explanation or attribution. That wouldn’t seem to be the right city for Vick since it’s known for its protestations and activists. How long would it take a large group of animal lovers to ban together for a huge rally against the would-be quarterback?

Former Tennessee head football coach Phil Fulmer says he wants to coach again and he’s not ruling anything out -- even the NFL. But in the interim, he’s appearing in a football movie called "The Blind Side" starring Sandra Bullock.

It’s beginning to look more and more like the rumors that Brett Favre may be playing for the Minnesota Vikings this year are more than rumors. I don’t mind Favre coming back if he hadn’t "retired" from the Jets. And that’s after "retiring" from the Packers. Just don’t say "retired" after the end of the season.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Gustavus named Tommy Valentini as head men’s tennis coach.

Wow, that didn’t take long. Isiah Thomas, the new basketball coach at Florida International, already has angered several local high school coaches and he’s only been on the job two weeks.

Interesting that Penn State’s Joe Paterno is pushing the Big 10 to add a 12th team so the league can have a playoff at the end of the season. Paterno suggests another team from the east -- Pittsburgh, Rutgers or Syracuse.

The Pac-10 plays 50 percent of its non-conference games against other BCS teams while the ACC is second with almost 42 percent against teams with equal billing. The Big XII plays the weakest out-of-conference schedule with only 22.9 percent against tough foes.

And finally I just don’t get why the NFL folks are talking about playing the Super Bowl in London in 2014. Europe has had American football of the minor variety for years and it’s been a dismal failure.

This is Norman Arey and I play 100 percent of my games against major opponents.

Come on, Darryl, how many? And who wants to see 15 naked jockeys anyway?

(5/1) Hey, guess what I found? On FoxSports.com, I found an NFL mock draft for 2010. I know the ones from 2009 were ridiculous but here are two interesting entries. This mocker has Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford going to the St. Louis Rams with the No. 2 choice and Florida’s Tim Tebow going fourth to the Kansas City Chiefs.

SI.Com’s all-time greatest NCAA starting fives includes this one: Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes, Larry Farmer, Greg Lee and Henry Bibby. Not a bad one since this group went undefeated and took the ‘72 national title for UCLA. The next year, Larry Hollyfield took Bibby’s place and the Bruins did it again.

Obscure Athletic Hire of the Day: Arkansas Tech has named Wes McCrotty as interim baseball coach.

The Arey Tabloid Report (or news you simply can’t live without): Former baseball star Darryl Strawberry said during an interview that he has slept with more than 1,000 women. Shades of Wilt Chamberlain! . . . An art exhibit by New York photographer Elena Dorfman shows 15 professional jockeys naked... . The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant led all sales of jerseys for the 2008-09 season, according to the NBA.

Why I like Steve Spurrier. When asked to rate his four years at South Carolina, the Gamecocks’ head football coach said, "We’ve not been terrible but we’ve not achieved a bunch."

Is it worth it? Ball State University’s football team was undefeated last season and earned a trip to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The trip ended up costing the school more than $142,000. Word is the administration is praying for a multidefeat season.

I’m probably as tired as you are of hearing about the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez, from his nasty divorce to his many flirtations with Madonna to his use or non-use of steroids. Now someone has written that A-Rod is a bad tipper. Seems he isn’t welcome at his neighborhood Hooters because he only tips 15 percent. That’s going a bit too far. Did the waitresses (hooter-ettes) object because he tips only 15 percent because he makes big bucks or that they felt they deserved more for their outstanding service. Ridiculous.

This is Norman Arey and I tip 17 and one-half percent (sometimes).