The show will be produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films and will premiere on SHOWTIME on Wednesday, September 10 (9:00 PM, ET/PT). It will air each Wednesday throughout the season through Wednesday, February 11, 2009.

Since its premiere in 1977, the heart of the one-hour show has been its exclusive and award-winning inside views from NFL Films, as well as its storied roster of talent recapping the weekend's games and previewing the match-ups for the week ahead.  The talent team for INSIDE THE NFL on Showtime will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We welcome the NFL to the SHOWTIME family," said Blank. "We're thrilled to be joining the successful partnership of CBS Sports and the NFL in presenting the show to our subscribers.  It's a perfect fit with our original scripted series and sports programming."

"CBS Sports is proud to expand its association with the National Football League and the award-winning team at NFL Films to produce INSIDE THE NFL for Showtime," said McManus. "We look forward to bringing the show to a new stage with a new team of talent and to continue to make history in the style that has been recognized for more than three decades."

"It's great to develop a deeper relationship with one of our broadcast partners, CBS Sports, and bring the Emmy Award-winning INSIDE THE NFL to its new home on SHOWTIME," said Bornstein.  "INSIDE THE NFL has set the standard as one of the best shows on television for over 30 years and fans will continue to enjoy the same high-quality production from NFL Films and CBS Sports this season on Showtime."

"This is the granddaddy of all highlight shows," said Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films. "The combination of our film and game sound with the analysis in the studio gives INSIDE THE NFL a perfect balance of action and insight. That's why it's been so popular for so long."

Past hosts of the INSIDE THE NFL have included Chuck Bednarik, Nick Buoniconti, Cris Carter, Cris Collinsworth, Bob Costas, Len Dawson, Jerry Glanville, Merle Harmon, Jimmy Johnson, Peter King, Dan Marino and Al Meltzer.

LV's Take:  I believe the announcement of NFL Films, CBS, and Showtime bringing back "Inside the NFL" is outstanding, because NFL Fans need the venerable king of NFL highlight shows.  ITN is often imitated, but can never be replaced even if there is ESPN, NFL Network, and many others following it's lead.  HBO made a hasty decision in pulling the plug on the NFL highlight show that started it all, which many attribute to layoffs at the NFL multimedia giant.  The commentary on ITN is the best in the business and NFL Films shoots games like none other.  With broadcast superstar James Brown on board as the host look for a monumental rebirth.

 ** NFL Media contributed to part of this piece.

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

Lampard, 30, wants a longer deal than Chelsea's current offer of four years.

Chelsea have again insisted he is not for sale after rejecting a £7.95m bid from Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Kenyon said: "We'd like to hope we can reach an agreement but if we can't we have always worked on the basis that he sees out the terms of his contract."

He explained: "The situation is ongoing. We have always maintained that we want Frank to stay and an offer was made to that effect.

"That offer is still on the table. Frank is under contract and he still has one year to run on that."

New Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Lampard was happy to stay at Chelsea, but his agent, Steve Kutner, said the player's future was "completely unresolved".

Scolari revealed on Tuesday that Lampard had told him he wanted to stay "for more than one year".

"I was very happy because I asked if he wants to stay and he said 'yes, I will stay at Chelsea'," said Scolari.

However, Kutner's response soon after Scolari's news conference cast more doubt on the player's future.

Talks over a new deal for Lampard have been on-going for two years without success, and Chelsea face the prospect of the England international leaving for free next summer if the matter is not resolved.

"You've got Inter claiming they've made a bid, Chelsea saying that they are not entering into discussions over a transfer and Lampard pretty much saying meet my terms," said BBC football correspondent Jonathan Legard.

"The Lampard team are not happy, they are frustrated. Lampard wants to stay - exactly as Scolari said in his press conference - but he would like a five-year deal and Chelsea are only offering four on, from what I gather about £150,000-a-week.

"If Lampard feels that Chelsea won't meet his terms then perhaps he needs to look elsewhere and that is why Inter have come back again and are still confident they can get him to play for them next season under Jose Mourinho."

BBC 5 Live also report Chelsea insist there was no row between Lampard and chief executive Peter Kenyon at the Cobham training ground on Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary.

And at his first news conference in England since taking charge, Scolari insisted he envisaged Lampard's long-term future being in south-west London.

"I met him on Monday and told him that I like him very much as a player and as a person and I asked him if he wanted to stay, not only for this season but for longer," added Scolari.

"After we had spoken for 15 minutes, he said he wants to stay and play for Chelsea for many years.

"I am very happy because I think Chelsea need Lampard and I think he is with us for more than one year."

BBC Sport revealed on Monday that Inter had contacted the Blues over Lampard.

However, a statement on Chelsea's website on Tuesday read: "We have informed Inter that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer."

Despite Chelsea's insistence that they had not received an offer from Inter, the Italian club's president Massimo Moratti claims a bid was made.

"This is not true," said Moratti. "There was an offer and we confirm it. However, we don't want to create any big problems.

"They replied that they have no intention of negotiating, as was their right. Now we will see."

Lampard also has an option under Fifa rules to buy out the remaining 12 months of his contract.

Scolari has already signed Portugal midfielder Deco from Barcelona to join the Blues' already considerable midfield resources.

source:bbcsports

The College Football Hall of Fame's signature event is its annual Enshrinement Festival. Fans have a variety of opportunities to meet and mingle with the Enshrinees during this spectacular event. From FanFest to the Enshrinement Dinner and Show, the Enshrinement Festival offers unparalleled access to some of the greatest names in the history of the game. The 2008 Enshrinement Festival will feature a week long of festivities and will culminate on July 18-19. This year’s class features Joe Paterno, Doug Flutie, Ahmad Rashad and Chris Zorich, among others who are being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Through participation in Enshrinement Festival activities, fans gain an appreciation for what the Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation are all about: the preservation of the rich tradition and unique spirit of amateur football.

For more information or to order tickets, call 574-235-9999 or 1-800-440-FAME or visit CollegeFootball.org.

On tonights show he will break it up into three segments. 

Segment 1- Intro and Background

Segment 2 - Scouting Report

Segment 3 - Call in & predictions

You won't want to miss this one.  Tune in tonight at 7pm(pst)/10pm(est) at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WFB-Talk-Continues or CLICK HERE

You can also read Coach Penn's personal blog at http://coachpenn.blogspot.com.

Tune in tonight to hear what he has to say about the UPCOMING Playoff Games this weekend.

7pm(pst)/10pm(est) at WFB Talk Continues

Now, I just hope TT gets on this asap. If the Packers continue to officially have "no reaction" for much longer, this wouldn't be much different than a group of 100 people at a company party trying to ignore a giant, giant elephant pooping in the middle of the room.

Champion du monde 1998 et champion d'Europe en 2000 où il avait inscrit le but de la victoire en finale, David Trezeguet, 30 ans, a été sélectionné 71 fois en équipe de France, faisant trembler les filets à 34 reprises. On se souviendra aussi qu'il avait manqué le tir au but décisif lors de la finale de la Coupe du Monde 2006. Sa décision semble mûrement réfléchie. En mars dernier, le buteur de la Juventus, apprenant qu'il ne faisait pas partie de la liste des 39 joueurs retenus par Domenech, avait même eu ce commentaire qui en disait long sur le site internet de son club : «Dans n'importe quel groupe il est important d'avoir la confiance de l'entraîneur et je ne pense pas l'avoir en sélection, c'est pourquoi je me suis déjà préparé mentalement à renoncer.»

La Gazzetta l'a également interrogé sur les ambitions de la Vieille dame pour cette saison et Trezeguet a constaté froidement : « Nous sommes arrivés troisièmes. C'est que les autres ont quelque chose de plus (...) Il nous faut sans doute un renfort de qualité.»

Nevertheless, the genesis for the 2002 championship was in the 1998-99 recruiting class signed by John Cooper.

Coop and his staff started quickly, getting a bounce from an 11-1 season, Sugar Bowl win over Texas A&M and a second-place finish in the national polls in 1998. An early surge brought seven commitments to the Buckeyes by the end of spring practice and six more by the time the 1999 regular season rolled around.

OSU eventually signed each of the top seven players in Ohio, got several key out-of-state commitments and parlayed those with its early verbals to sign a strong class. Several members were consensus prep All-Americans and at least half of the class of 24 members earned high school All-America honors from at least one recruiting service.

About the only signing day suspense revolved around a pair of players – Georgia wide receiver Reggie Brown and Florida defensive back Roshard Gilyard – neither of whom signed with the Buckeyes. Gilyard would have probably seriously entertained joining the OSU class, but the Buckeyes ran out of scholarship spots.

Still, the class was an excellent one and put the finishing touches on what was to be the final stretch of glory for Cooper during his tenure at Ohio State. In a matter of six months from September 1998 to February 1999, Cooper fielded what many people believed was the best team in college football on the field and signed what was the consensus No. 2 recruiting class in the nation. Unfortunately, a home slip-up against Michigan State cost the Buckeyes the ’98 national championship and a growing concern of players more interested in NFL draft status than performing well for Ohio State began to permeate the program.

Indeed, just a few days after signing the talent-laden class of 1999, Cooper was forced to answer charges that recruiting coordinator Bill Conley and assistant coach Shawn Simms had in-home meetings with recruits during one of the NCAA’s quiet periods, a violation of recruiting rules.

Nevertheless, on national signing day, Cooper was ebullient with his praise of Conley.

“Bill Conley, as the recruiting coordinator, and the rest of our coaches did an outstanding job,” the OSU head coach said. “Bill does a great job (because) he is organized and it’s a lot of hard work.”

National recruiting expert Tom Lemming agreed: “I’ve been saying for the last few years that Bill Conley is one of the best recruiters in the country. There are 15 or 20 name schools across the country, but the Buckeyes are right there with anybody and it’s because of Conley and also John Cooper.”

As far as the ’99 class itself, Cooper was satisfied.

“I think this is a good, solid class,” he said. “Now, is it a top-5 class or a top-1 class? I can’t answer that because I don’t know the players Notre Dame signed or Florida or Florida State.”

The various recruiting experts around the country came up with the consensus that Texas had far and away the country’s No. 1 recruiting class. The Longhorns were followed by Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Georgia. UCLA, Alabama, Michigan, LSU and Florida rounded out the top 10. But while Texas was strong throughout the country, some experts said the Buckeyes flexed their recruiting muscles just as well.

“Ohio State totally dominated the state of Ohio, maybe more so than Texas dominated Texas,” said SuperPrep publisher Allen Wallace. “Texas had to share some with Texas A&M. There were no gaps in Ohio State’s class.”

Some of shine faded from the class in the fall when six members were ruled ineligible under Prop 48 requirements. And there were a couple of Ohio players who signed elsewhere, including running back Ryan Brewer of Troy, who signed with South Carolina and became the proverbial straw that broke Cooper’s back in the 2001 Outback Bowl; receiver Lee Evans of Bedford, who became a record-setting All-American at Wisconsin; and running back Keiwan Ratliff of Columbus Whitehall-Yearling, who became a standout on offense, defense and special teams at Florida.

Here is a complete rundown of the players in the 1999 Ohio State recruiting class along with career highlights:

Tim Anderson (6-4, 270, 4.95), Clyde, Ohio

Consensus prep All-American

Registered 59 tackles and seven sacks during HS senior year

Also a member of his high school wrestling team and won the Division II state championship in the heavyweight division

Signed with Ohio State over Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan

Four-year OSU letterman (2000-03)

Started three years at defensive tackle for Buckeyes (2001-03)

Third-round selection of Buffalo Bills in 2004 NFL draft

Has played in 43 games for Buffalo and Atlanta (2004-present)

Career NFL stats: 82 total tackles, 52 solos, 1 sack, 4 passes defended

Bryce Bishop (6-5, 310, 4.9), Miami (Fla.) Killian

Consensus prep All-American

Rated as nation’s eighth best offensive line prospect; USA Today first-team All-American

Regarded as excellent run blocker; graded out at 88 percent with 12 pancake blocks during senior season

Signed with Ohio State over Florida State and Miami (Fla.)

Sat out 1999 season after failing to meet academic requirements under Prop 48

Three-year OSU letterman (2001-03)

Two-year starter for Buckeyes at right guard (2001-02)

Ricky Bryant (6-1, 165, 4.5), Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison

Considered one of top receiver prospects in his state

Caught 51 passes for 995 yards and 13 TDs as senior for state championship team that finished 13-0

Also scored three other TDs as senior, two on kick returns and one rushing

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Northwestern and Wisconsin

Two-year OSU letterman (2000-01)

Left team early in 2002 to transfer to Division I-AA Hofstra and finished his collegiate career there

Drew Carter (6-4, 187, 4.5), Solon, Ohio

Totaled 33 receptions for 890 yards and 13 TDs as a senior

Did not play HS football as a sophomore or junior to concentrate on basketball and track; averaged 19.0 points per game as a senior in basketball

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State and Colorado

Three-year OSU letterman (2000, ’02-03)

Battled knee problems throughout his college career

Started one year at split end for Buckeyes in 2003 but was again felled by a knee injury

Fifth-round selection in 2004 NFL draft by Carolina Panthers

Sat out ’04 season on injured reserve after suffering another knee injury during first day of Panthers’ mini-camp

Finally injury-free; has played in 30 games for Panthers over past two seasons, including nine starts

Career NFL stats: 33 games, 71 receptions, 977 yards, 8 TDs

Adrien Clarke (6-5, 315, 5.1), Shaker Heights, Ohio

Consensus prep All-American

Strong offensive line prospect able to bench 375 pounds and dead lift more than 600

Piled up 62 pancake blocks over his last two HS seasons

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Illinois and Syracuse

Four-year OSU letterman (2000-03)

Started four seasons for Buckeyes; one at left tackle (2000) and three at left guard (2001-03)

Seventh-round selection in 2004 NFL draft by Philadelphia Eagles

Sat out ’04 season on injured reserve after suffering torn hamstring in Eagles’ second preseason game

Played in 14 games and started two at guard for Eagles in 2005

Played in 14 games and started all 14 at guard for New York Jets in 2007

Curtis Crosby (5-11, 175, 4.4), Columbus Eastmoor Academy

One of earliest players to verbal to class of ’99, offering his commitment on Feb. 11, 1998

Consensus prep All-American considered one of top defensive back prospects in nation

As a senior, recorded 100 tackles, 12 pass breakups and two INTs; had seven INTs and also rushed for 1,500 yards as a junior

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan

Sat out 1999 season after failing to qualify academically under Prop 48 requirements

Lettered one year with Buckeyes (2000)

Mike Doss (6-0, 185, 4.55), Canton (Ohio) McKinley

One of earliest players to verbal to class of ’99, offering his commitment on Feb. 10, 1998

Consensus prep All-American

Key member of back-to-back state championship teams and logged 14 career INTs as defensive back

Totaled 111 tackles and three INTs as HS senior; also rushed for 1,454 yards and 22 TDs as running back that year

Committed to Ohio State over Penn State

Four-year OSU letterman (1999-2002)

Three-year starter at strong safety for Buckeyes (2000-02)

One of only seven Ohio State players to become three-time All-Americans

Second-round selection in 2003 NFL draft by Indianapolis Colts

Starting strong safety for Colts (2003-06)

Signed free-agent contract April 4, 2007, with Minnesota Vikings and played eight games for Vikings last season

NFL career totals: 54 games, 266 tackles, 7 INTs, 17 passes defended

Richard Hall (6-0, 205, 4.45), Cincinnati Wyoming

One of top-rated running backs in America

Ohio Division IV offensive player of the year

Totaled 2,855 yards and 46 TDs as senior; career prep totals were 7,376 yards and 121 TDs

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State and Indiana

Failed to qualify academically under Prop 48 requirements

Never played for Ohio State

Transferred to Cincinnati and completed his collegiate career there

Maurice Harris (6-2, 200, 4.5), Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines

Consensus prep All-American

Totaled 80 receptions for 1,782 yards and 28 TDs during his final two seasons at Raines

Helped team to 27-2 record during those years including a state championship as a junior

Signed with Ohio State over Miami (Fla.), Tennessee and Purdue

Failed to qualify academically under Prop 48 requirements

Never played for Ohio State

Ben Hartsock (6-4, 250, 4.8), Chillicothe (Ohio) Unioto

First-team, Division IV All-Ohio tight end

Career HS numbers included 86 receptions for 1,562 yards

Also played defensive end and registered 61 tackles and 19 sacks as a senior; additionally played some at running back his senior year and totaled 356 yards and nine TDs

Signed with Ohio State over Purdue, West Virginia and Indiana

Four-year OSU letterman (2000-03)

Started two seasons for Buckeyes at tight end (2002-03)

Third-round selection in 2004 NFL draft by Indianapolis Colts

Played two years with Colts (2004-05)

Spent 2006 and 2007 seasons with Tennessee Titans; started nine games for Titans in ’07

Career NFL stats: 45 games, 15 starts, 24 receptions, 247 yards, 0 TDs

Jesse Kline (6-2, 210, 4.5), Upper Arlington, Ohio

Highly rated prospect because of size, power and speed

Rushed for 1,110 yards and 15 TDs as a senior despite missing 3½ games with hamstring problems

Totaled 3,466 yards and more than 50 TDs for his high school career

Signed with Ohio State over Notre Dame and Michigan

Battled lower back and shoulder problems throughout college career

Lettered for Buckeyes for one season (2001)

Scheduled to begin 2002 season as starting fullback but decided to quit the team just before the opener, citing chronic injuries

Craig Krenzel (6-4, 215, 4.85), Utica (Mich.) Ford

Earned scholarship offer after dazzling coaches at OSU camp

Completed 110 of 220 passes as senior for 1,760 yards and 20 TDs

Threw a state-record seven touchdowns in one game

Totaled 224 completions in 440 for 3,100 yards and 30 TDs his final two prep seasons

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Boston College, Stanford and Duke

Four-year OSU letterman (2000-03)

Started two years for Ohio State at quarterback (2002-03)

Two-time Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP

Finished career fifth on OSU career passing percentage list (56.8); eighth on career passing yardage list (4,493); ninth on career total offense list (5,097)

Fifth-round selection in 2004 NFL draft by Chicago Bears

Played in six games for Bears in ’04, started five times, and completed 59 of 127 attempts for 718 yards, three TDs and six INTs (rookie bests for Chicago since Jim McMahon in 1982)

Sprained right ankle in Thanksgiving Day loss to Dallas shelved him for remainder of ’04 season

Spent 2005 season as backup quarterback for Cincinnati Bengals

Injured elbow that required surgery in 2006, a procedure that has ended his playing career

Career NFL stats: 6 games, 5 starts, 59 completions, 127 attempts, 46.5 percent, 718 yards, 3 TDs, 6 INTs

Maurice Lee (5-10, 170, 4.43), Cleveland South

Rated ninth-best prospect in Ohio regardless of position

Used mainly as an option-style quarterback in high school, but still played running back and receiver

Had over 3,800 all-purpose yards during his final two seasons; ran and threw for 1,250 yards as a senior and also caught 18 passes for 426 yards

Sat out 1999 season after failing to qualify academically under Prop 48

Special teams performer for much of his college career

Lettered one year for Buckeyes (2003)

Kelton Lindsay (6-1, 195, 4.4), Lebanon, Ohio

Consensus prep All-American

Rated top prospect in Ohio regardless of position

Division II offensive player of the year

Became first verbal of class of ’99, committing to Buckeyes on Jan. 27, 1998

Helped his team to Division II state championship by rushing for 1,500 yards and 16 TDs; had game-winning 41-yard touchdown run in title game

Rushed for 5,156 yards during high school career

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame

Began collegiate career as defensive back but was scheduled to move to running back in 2000

Lettered one year for Buckeyes (1999)

Tore up knee during pickup basketball game in January 2000 and never played football at Ohio State again

Scott McMullen (6-4, 195, 4.9), Granville, Ohio

Consensus prep All-American

As a senior, completed 118 of 191 attempts for 2,577 yards and 24 TDs against just five INTs

Three-year starter with career numbers of 6,100 yards, 58 TDs and a 27-3 record

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Florida State

Four-year OSU letterman (2000-03)

Served as mainly a backup quarterback; had three starts during Ohio State career

Career stats: 87 of 141 (61.7 percent) for 1,103 yards, nine TDs and four INTs

Signed NFL free agent contract with Philadelphia Eagles in April 2004 but was released in June

Played briefly with Columbus Destroyers of Arena Football League in 2005

Completed 33 of 64 passes for 332 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs

Serves as quarterbacks coach at Granville (Ohio) High School

Richard McNutt (6-0, 175, 4.4), Park Forest (Ill.) Rich East

Consensus prep All-American and rated as nation’s top defensive back prospect despite not playing his senior year because of an ankle injury

Projected as cornerback although he starred as running back, cornerback, receiver and kick returner in high school

Was also standout track performer in triple jump and long jump

Signed with Ohio State over UCLA, Northwestern, Michigan State and Florida

Three-year OSU letterman (2000-02)

Chronic ankle injury forced him to give up football shortly before his senior season in 2003

Went into coaching; serves as DBs coach at Washington & Jefferson College, VMI and Toledo

Named assistant defensive backs coach with Cleveland Browns in late March

Pat O’Neill (6-4, 215, 4.7), Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Walsh Jesuit

Ohio Division III defensive player of the year

Totaled 93 solo stops, 22 tackles for loss and six sacks as a senior for 13-1 team that was state title runner-up

Had over 200 tackles and 11 sacks during his final two HS seasons

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Indiana and Pittsburgh

Three-year OSU letterman (2000-02)

Fred Pagac Jr. (6-2, 230, 4.55), Dublin (Ohio) Coffman

Consensus prep All-American

Rated as No. 3 prospect in Ohio regardless of position

As a senior, totaled 98 tackles and six sacks; had 110 tackles, six sacks and two INTs during junior year

Son of former Ohio State defensive coordinator and current Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Fred Pagac

Signed with Ohio State over Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern

Four-year OSU letterman (1999, 2001-03)

Battled injuries throughout his college career including broken leg in ’99, ankle injury that cost him entire 2000 season, shoulder surgery in ’02 and a chronic knee problem in ’03

Started one year for Buckeyes at middle linebacker (2003)

Signed NFL free agent contract with St. Louis Rams in June 2004 but was released the following month

Returned to Ohio State as graduate assistant coach in spring 2007

B.J. Sander (6-3, 195, 4.7), Cincinnati Roger Bacon

Left-footed specialist who was punter and placekicker in high school

Averaged 40.0 yards per punt as senior, 43.5 as junior

Extremely strong leg; kicked state-record 60-yard field goal as a senior and also converted kicks of 54, 51, 47, 47 and 43 yards as a junior

Signed with Ohio State over Notre Dame and Michigan

Two-year OSU letterman (2000, ’03)

Started two seasons as punter for Buckeyes (2000, ’03)

2003 Ray Guy Award winner

Fourth-best career punt average in OSU history (42.2 yards)

Third-round selection in 2004 NFL draft by Green Bay Packers

Punted 64 times for 39.2-yard average for Packers in 2005

Nate Stead (6-0, 255, 4.8), Marion (Ohio) Harding

Powerful fullback prospect with bench press of 350 pounds

Totaled 471 yards and 14 TDs during senior season despite missing the first four games with a knee injury; returned to help his team to a 10-2 record and the Division I state regional finals

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan State, Central Florida and Akron

Played in four games in ’99, becoming only true freshman on roster to run the ball and catch a pass, but did not letter

Lettered one year for Ohio State (2000)

Fred Sturrup (6-4, 270, 4.9), Plantation, Fla.

Recorded over 100 tackles, including 25 for loss and 15 sacks during senior year for team that went 10-1 and made state playoffs

Recruited to play defensive end and had already shed 10 of a planned 20 pounds by national signing day

Signed with Ohio State over Florida State and Miami (Fla.)

Battled academic problems throughout college career

Lettered one year for Ohio State (2000)

Ziyier Walker (6-1, 195, 4.5), Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy

Originally committed to Buckeyes in 1998, but failed to meet academic requirements under Prop 48

Enrolled at Fork Union where he continued his reputation as hard-hitting safety

Prepped at Paterson (N.J. Catholic) and recorded 47 solo tackles and one INT as a senior; also played running back and rushed for 800 yards and a touchdown

Never qualified academically

Never lettered at Ohio State

Matt Wilhelm (6-5, 240, 4.6), Elyria (Ohio) Catholic

First-team Ohio Division IV linebacker

Rated as No. 4 prospect in Ohio regardless of position

As a senior, totaled 100 tackles, including 26 for loss and 11 sacks

Also played running back as a junior, running for 1,200 yards and 20 TDs

Signed with Ohio State over Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Indiana

Four-year OSU letterman (1999-2002)

Started three years at middle linebacker for Buckeyes (2000-02)

Fourth-round selection in 2003 NFL draft by San Diego Chargers

Starting right inside linebacker for Chargers

Career NFL stats: 55 games, 170 tackles, 131 solos, 2 sacks, 5 INTs, 10 passes defended

Matt Zahn (6-7, 360, 5.4), St. Henry, Ohio

Considered one of top offensive line prospects in state

Displayed good movement for his size; also played basketball for Redskins

Signed with Ohio State over Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan and Indiana

Battled weight problems through his OSU career, eventually topping 400 pounds

Never lettered for Ohio State

Transferred to Marshall and completed his collegiate career there

HAPPY! HAPPY!

Among the luminaries around the world celebrating birthdays today: former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Tony Award-winning and prolific film actor Brian Dennehy (“First Blood,” “Tommy Boy,” “Silverado,” “Presumed Innocent” and “Cocoon”); actor Richard Roundtree (the one and only original “Shaft”); novelist Dean R. Koontz; actor Jimmy Smits; actor Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold in “The Wonder Years”); actress Kelly McGillis (flight instructor Charlie in “Top Gun”); former Entertainment Tonight co-host/composer John Tesh; pro wrestler Kevin Nash; singer/songwriter Courtney Love; St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green; former Cleveland Browns quarterback Kelly Holcomb; The White Stripes frontman Jack White; two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks; and former Heisman Trophy winner, NFL Hall of Famer and acquitted Crime of the Century defendant O.J. Simpson.

It is also the 81st birthday of singer/actor Ed Ames, who had a successful run in the 1960s playing the Indian sidekick in the TV series “Daniel Boone.” Ames is perhaps best known for his 1965 appearance on The Tonight Show when he tried to showcase his tomahawk-throwing expertise to Johnny Carson. I can’t do it justice, so you’ll have to click on this link to witness one of the funniest moments (and longest continuous laughs) in television history: The Tomahawk Incident.

AND FINALLY

** Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez has reportedly agreed to pay West Virginia the $4 million that was contained in the buyout clause of his contract. Translation: U-M has decided to pony up the money after enduring months of bad publicity for stealing a coach who was giving his opponents ammunition in the recruiting wars – basically that his word meant nothing. My only question: What took officials in Double-A so long to extricate themselves from what everyone else realized was a public relations disaster?

** Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio will throw out the ceremonial first pitch tonight at Comerica Park when Detroit hosts Cleveland. Dantonio may be a little conflicted as to whether to cheer for the Tigers or the Tribe. He may be coaching in Michigan but he grew up in Ohio.

** CC Sabathia left more than his oversized uniform in Cleveland. He also left behind the periods after the initials in his first name. Always known as “C.C.” when he was with the Indians, Sabathia let it be known that he now wants to see just “CC” in print. The reason? It supposedly has a cleaner look. That’s somewhat odd in that Sabathia resembles an unmade bed whenever he’s on the mound. The pitcher’s given name is Carsten Charles, by the way.

** In my fantasy baseball league, we traditionally ridicule the final pick of each year’s draft. We are an NL-only league with 11 teams, and that last selection is usually a minor-leaguer or veteran hanger-on. This year’s final pick was Washington shortstop Cristian Guzman, who hit .219 two years ago and was limited to only 46 games last year. Apparently, however, the joke was on the rest of us who didn’t pick Guzman. He is currently hitting .311, leads the NL with 119 hits and is riding a 14-game hitting streak.

** How is U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger preparing for the September event? By playing the preliminary round of the World Series of Poker’s Main Event. Azinger made it through the initial cut on Sunday and is on the felt again today. The finals are in November, and this year’s winner will pocket more than $9 million.

** When the U.S. economy slows, folks at the lower end of the income scale begin suffering first. Those people are also the core of NASCAR’s fan base, so should it be any surprise that racing is experiencing a financial downturn for the first time in many years. Attendance is down, a company which owns several tracks has been hammered recently in the stock market, and former IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti lost his NASCAR ride last week from a lack of sponsorship dollars.

On ne verra plus David Trezeguet avec le maillot frappé du coq ! Le joueur de la Juventus vient d'annoncer qu'il mettait un terme à sa carrière internationale, une décision prise en grande partie par la confirmation de Raymond Domenech au poste de sélectionneur.

Ce n'est pas vraiment une surprise, mais ça fait un petit pincement au coeur de savoir qu'on ne pourra plus profiter d'un tel attaquant à la pointe des Bleus. C'est vrai que les dernières prestations de David avec l'EDF n'étaient pas lumineuses, mais on ne peut pas dire que le système mis en place était pour lui faciliter la tâche...

Le but en or de DT lors de la finale de l'Euro 2000 restera gravé à jamais dans nos mémoires.

The latest savvy move from Team Beckham (and it is most assuredly a team of people who plot these things): Becks is requesting (demanding?) that Pepsi, for whom he is a spokesperson, find a more healthy brand from within their portfolio for him to associate with. Here's the story from Brand Republic.

This is such a smart move by Beckham. It would be very easy for critics to come after him, arguing that he is pushing an unhealthy lifestyle on impressionable kids. By getting out in front of this, he looks like a champion of healthy living that is pulling his corporate partner, Pepsi, into the 21st century. What isn't said, but hinted at in the Brand Republic article is that Beckham may just be angling for a higher profile (read more lucrative) endorsement deal. Perhaps a Beckham-branded water.

Beckham has been counted out both on and off the pitch in the past, but, like Madonna (and Mark Twain) reports of his demise may be greatly exaggerated.

T.I.T.T.H Top 10 Greatest Offensive Tackles

1. Anthony Munoz - Cincinati Bengals (HOF)
2. Art Shell - Oakland Raiders (HOF)
3. Rayfield Wright - Dallas Cowboys (HOF)
4. Jonathan Ogden - Baltimore Ravens
5. Roosevelt Brown - New York Giants (HOF)
6. Walter Jones - Seattle Seahawks*
7. Forrest Gregg - Green Bay Packers (HOF)
8. Orlando Pace - St. Louis Rams*
9. Gary Zimmerman - Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos (HOF)
10. Bob St. Clair - San Francisco 49ers (HOF)

Honorable Mention: Dan Dierdorf (HOF), Joe Jacoby, Willie Roaf, Jackie Slater (HOF), Jimbo Covert, Mike Munchack (HOF), Bob Brown (HOF), Tarik Glenn, Eric Williams, Chris Hinton, Tony Bosselli, Lomas Brown, Jim "Jumbo" Elliott, Ron Yary, Richmond Webb, Tra Thomas*, Willie Anderson*, Flozelle Adams*, Chris Samuels*, Todd Steussie

Click here to get to the Veja website. Then scroll down and on the left, under Espiciais, click Ronaldo. Make sure you have your sound switched on - watch and listen to the slideshow, see some video clips, read the chronology and look at some of the stats of his playing and scoring record then attempt the quiz at the bottom. Everything's there for you to have a very nicely presented 20 minute Portuguese lesson.

Here is a short glossary to help you with some words which come up in the chronology section:

acima de seu peso = overweight
anunciar = to announce
careca = bald head
joelho = knee
marcar = to score a goal
longe das gramados = (lit. far from the grass) off the pitch/out of action/away from football.
madrugada = after midnight, the early hours of the morning
palhaço = clown
partida = match/fixture
perna = leg
sofrer = to suffer
torcedor = a fan/supporter
travestis = transvestites
xixi = urine/pee

Oscar Ahumada made a bit of a stir during River's successful Clausura campaign, criticising the club's fans in the aftermath of the superclásico defeat in La Bombonera before going on to be one of the team's best players in the subsequent matches, superb in particular against championship competitors Estudiantes. Today, though, as new River striker Robert Flores joins from the club's Uruguayan namesake, Ahumada looks like he's got more than one foot out of the door at the Monumental...

Flores has signed for River from, um, River, after impressing during the Uruguayan Clausura just gone, which his club led for a good deal of the time and during which, at one point, it looked like they were going to break a decades-old league goalscoring record held by Peñarol and eventually finishing on 48 goals from 15 matches, topping the Clausura table. The 23-year-old has made all the right noises on arriving in Núñez, declaring that 'I'd love to be one quarter of what Enzo [Francescoli] was.' River's fans would love that, too.

Relations between player and club have become so bad that they're reduced to communicating by mail, despite the fact that Ahumada lives only just over a mile away from the Monumental. On the 30th June, Ahumada's contract with River ran out and the player has refused to sign the three-year extension offered to him by the club, resulting in his becoming a free agent.

River seem to be refusing to recognise this last fact, and have written to the player requesting an explanation for why he didn't turn up for training on either Monday or Tuesday of this week. It would seem that Ahumada reckons that by turning up to train, he'd be implicitly accepting the contract he doesn't want to sign with the club. In his previous contract, signed by Domingo Díaz and Mario Israel on behalf of River, by Ahumada himself and by his agent, Néstor Sívori, there was a clause which acted as a pre-contract to the extension River now want him to sign (I really hope I'm reading this correctly...).

Pre-contracts, of course, aren't normally considered binding either by law or by FIFA, and thus today the player denied the clause's legitimacy, despite some very tasty financial terms being offered - on top of his AR$7,000  monthly salary, the club were offering to increase his annual bonus from US$308,000 to US$500,00. Instead, he requested a bonus of US$800,000 along with an 'allowance' of close to US$1 million as recompense for previous bonuses which, rather than being paid to him in cash, had been issued in the form of 10% of his own transfer fee in the event of a sale which now won't take place. One of River's star midfielders looks like he's very much on his way.

Colón striker Martín Bravo is in an almost identical situation, having not trained with the squad this week after declaring himself a free agent under very similar circumstances. The forward, scorer of nine goals during the Clausura, was, like Ahumada, subject to a 'unilateral extension' from his club. If too many Argentine clubs are going to use this tactic to keep hold of players, the financial problems with football in the country are only going to exacerbate as clubs miss out on transfer fees. Both Ahumada's and Bravo's agents are looking for moves to Europe - if their players join a club outside Argentina, FIFA regulations won't permit River or Colón to be compensated at all.

Da Seedorf skrev sin første kontrakt med Milan var det er drøm der gik i opfyldelse for det har altid været hans favorit klub, og er det selvfølgelig stadig. Seedorf har spillet rigtig mange fodbold kampe både de store og de små, men den kamp som Seedorf elsker Aller mest er kampen mod Manchester Unitet i champions league semifinalen i 2007 hvor Milan og Seedorf vandt 3-0 i Italien og Seedorf scorede 1 mål.

Det bedste mål og den bedste fodbold spiller for Seedorf.

Det bedste mål kom da Seedorf spillede for Real Madrid i 1997, det var mod Atletico Madrid og det er et af dem man bare kalder et drømme mål. Se det selv på Youtube. Det er virkelig smukt. Seedorf har ikke nogen speciel fodbold spiller som han har nydt mere end andre, for Seedorf har spillet med eller i mod næsten alle stjerner og der er mange som bare er så gode.

Seedorf, hans kone og børn elsker han.

Seedorf elsker at bruge tid med sin kone og sine børn når han ikke spiller fodbold. Det er det eneste som kan få Seedorf til at tænke på andet end fodbold. Når Seedorf skal have fred for fansene og alle de forpligtelser han har med Milan så er Seedorf sammen med sin familie.

Seedorf has like every other football player a favorite team, Seedorf loves Milan and it was a dream coming true when Seedorf signed his first contract with Milan. Seedorf has played a lot of football matches but the one football match Seedorf loves the most is the football match against Manchester Unitet in 2007 Champions League semi-final second leg at the San Siro. Seedorf scored a goal and Milan won the football match 3-0 and gat the ticket to Athens.

Seedorf this is the best goal and his favorite person in football.

The best goal Seedorf ever has made was against Atletico Madrid when he played for Real Madrid, See it your self on YouTube. Seedorf doesn’t have a favorite football player, Seedorf has played with almost every star football player in the world and if Seedorf hasn’t played with them, Seedorf has played football against them. In life Seedorf likes Nelson Mandela the most, and Seedorf is one of the lucky football players who has been privileged enough to meet him in person.

In private Seedorf loves his wife and children.

When Seedorf doesn’t play football he loves to spend time with his wife and children, which is one of the things that can take Seedorf away from the responsibilities Seedorf has in football club Ac Milan, and to the fans of the football club.

TENNIS champ Rafael Nadal got some more good news after winning Wimbledon — he was told his beloved Real Madrid had signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real president Ramon Calderon told club fanatic Nadal the deal for the Manchester United ace was “done and dusted”.
The two spoke just hours after 22-year-old Nadal had beaten Roger Federer in their Centre Court final epic on Sunday.
It confirms Real are NOT ending their £70million pursuit of Ronaldo despite the Premier League champions’ insistence they will not sell.
Nadal met Calderon in the grounds of the All England Club on Sunday night and a Spanish-speaking onlooker heard him ask: “OK, President, where’s this Cristiano Ronaldo we’re supposed to be signing?”
The Real chief replied: “Relax, Rafa, everything’s under control and we’ve got him done and dusted.”

How do they even get away with this? I hope he doesn't leave but if he does I hope United never sell Real another player. Other big clubs should do the same.

I'm normally of the feeling that if players want to move on then let them piss off somewhere else, but the whole way this has been handled makes me feel very strongly that they shouldn't be able to get away with it and walk away happy with the best young player in the world (in my opinion).  For more United anger on the way Real have 'conducted' themselves over this read this. Could not have said it better myself.

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I don’t know anything about the helmet but thought I had seen something like it in some old photos of Lone Star Dietz’s teams later on, possibly in the 1920s. So, I did some quick searches and found a similar helmet in a different color scheme listed on another site: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mearsonline.com/images/forsale/thumbs/Flat%2520top%2520helmet%2520front%2520feb%252022.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mearsonline.com/forsale/results/%3Fcat%3D8%26subcat%3D70&h=139&w=113&sz=4&hl=en&start=98&um=1&tbnid=AHtbVxdr1iubbM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=76&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgoldsmith%2Bhelmet%26start%3D80%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS264%26sa%3DN

That site identifies the Goldsmith model 67 as a government-issue helmet used during WWII. Was it used for football? I think so. Was it also used in army tanks? Probably. Was it used by the Carlisle Indians? Probably not. Was it used by an army unit assigned later to Carlisle Barracks? Possibly. What is it worth? Something, surely, but I don’t have a clue to how much.

I’d like to hear from some sports equipment specialists to learn more.