My Two Cents on the Favre/Sterger Scandal

As anyone with a computer or TV has heard by now, Brett Favre has been accused of harassing and sending inappropriate pictures to reporter Jenn Sterger during the season Favre played for the Jets. Sterger was a sideline reporter for the Jets at the time.

Now, two years after Favre left the Jets, stories have been surfacing saying that Favre (who is married, by the way) not only called Sterger and left voicemails asking to see her, but had also sent pictures of his genitalia via cellphone. Deadspin broke the story with this article, containing a video with both the voicemails and the pictures.

This is a tricky situation for the NFL.

On one hand, the NFL has an image to uphold. Recent cases of misconduct have been handled very strictly by the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. Ben Roethlisberger was suspended several games after sexual assault charges, Plaxico Burress is in jail after conviction on illegal possession of weapons, and Michael Vick is attempting to rebuild his career after serving jail time for running a dogfighting ring. Goodell has proven to be a disciplinary commissioner, and has not been lenient in cases of misconduct.

On the other hand, Brett Favre is a much bigger name than any of these players. He has been the posterchild of the NFL for the past 20 years. He currently holds an NFL record for the most consecutive starts by a quarterback, (291) a stat that has bested drug addictions, family crises and numerous injuries. The NFL will be extremely cautious with its decision about Favre, as he has much more national exposure than the majority of NFL players.

This causes a problem.

Sterger is worried, with good reason, that Favre will finish out the 2010 season and retire before he is ever brought to justice for his actions. Favre has already said he will be retiring at the end of the season. While we've heard that before, his performance on the field this season is showing heavy signs of his age, and it appears he may really be done for good at the end of the season. Therefore, the possibility exists for Favre to retire without punishment for his actions.

The NFL has a tough decision to make. Punishing Favre will essentially vilify one of the NFL's most popular figures. Letting him walk away clean will show that the NFL is either not taking the situation seriously or afraid to take action against a high-profile figure.

I think the NFL needs to make a decision before the end of the season.  Sterger's lawyer has stated that the NFL finished its investigation, yet the NFL has stated they are not ready to make a decision.

If no decision is made before the end of the season, Favre will walk away from the NFL. His punishment will not affect his career.

The NFL needs to take a stand, and continue to deal with misconduct in the same fashion as the Roethlisberger, Burress and Vick cases.

Yes, I am a Packer fan. Yes, I was deeply upset that Brett Favre went to play for the Vikings. But don't think this I am writing this to crucify Favre for leaving the Pack. Favre went to Minnesota because that was the best chance for him to win a Super Bowl - how can you blame the guy for that?

Brett Favre and football are synonyms in my mind. I grew up watching and worshiping Favre. I am amazed that Favre still has the desire to compete at the elite level after 20 seasons of bone-crunching hits. The man is simply amazing at what he does.

However, misconduct is misconduct. As a professional human, Favre must take responsibility for his actions.

Picture of the Week

Let's see how many funny comments we can post about this picture!

Mr. Packer in Action

2010 Big Ten Awards: Nine Wisconsin Badgers Earn All-Conference Honors

The 2010 Big Ten All-Conference Teams and individual award winners were recently announced, and once again, the lists were highly populated with Wisconsin Badgers


Check out the full article here.

Roses are red...

The Wisconsin Badgers all but sealed up a Rose Bowl bid with a victory against the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) defeated the Wildcats (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) 70-23 to finish out the season. With the victory, Wisconsin joins Ohio State and Michigan State as co-Big Ten Champions, the first title for Wisconsin since 1999.

Montee Ball had another huge game for the Badgers, carrying the ball 20 times for 178 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 4 touchdowns. He joins Ron Dayne as the only two Badgers in school history to record 4 rushing touchdowns in back-to-back games. James White was stellar as well, carrying the ball 20 times for 134 yards and a score.

Scott Tolzein came out hot in the first half, completing 14 of 18 passing attempts for 180 yards and 4 touchdowns. He added a pass for 40 yards in the second half to bring his game total to 230 yards. His performance was good enough to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. On the season, Tolzein completed 74.3 percent of his passes, smashing the Big Ten and team record of 67.8 percent set by Darrell Bevell in 1993. (Bevell won a Rose Bowl that season...)

Nick Toon had 5 receptions for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns. Lance Kendricks added 4 catches for 80 yards and a score, and David Gilreath caught 4 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The Badger defense absolutely humiliated the Wildcat offense, forcing 7 turnovers in the game. Mike Taylor, Jay Valai, Anthony Fenelus, and Aaron Henry all recorded interceptions, Henry returned his pic 50 yards for a touchdown. Valai also forced a fumble.

JJ Watt was a force once again. Watt had 7 solo tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, a sack, 2 forced fumbles, a blocked extra point, and had 3 quarterback hurries that led to interceptions. (For those of you counting, that makes 5 turnovers directly related to Watt). Watt was rewarded for his performance with the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award.

With the victory (and losses by Boise State and LSU) the Badgers moved to number 5 in the BCS Standings. Barring anything crazy, the Badgers should be headed to the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, and would likely face TCU.

The Badgers finished the season on a hot streak, scoring 201 points and amassing 1715 yards over the past three games.

The Badgers also recorded their three highest scoring games in the modern era (since 1946) this season. (70 against Austin Peay, 83 against Indiana, and 70 against Northwestern)

They will need to keep that fire burning in the month off before a BCS bowl game.

This Is Why I Love Rick Reilly

Washington Post columnist John Feinstein accused Washington Redskin's head coach Mike Shanahan of being racist for benching Donovan McNabb for Rex Grossman after the Redskins lost to the Detroit Lions.

Listen to Feinstein's accusations here, starting around the 2 minute mark of the video.

Rick Reilly wrote an excellent column in response. Check it out here.

Al Harris Released, Claimed by Dolphins

The Green Bay Packers released 12-year veteran cornerback Al Harris on Monday. After passing through waivers unclaimed, Harris was signed to a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.

Harris, 35, came into the 2010 season after going through knee surgery. He was placed on the physically unable to play list (PUP) at the start of the season, but was never activated after the PUP expired at week six.

Here's my favorite Al Harris moment...

Packers Embarrass Struggling Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers (6-3) demolished the Dallas Cowboys (1-7) on Sunday night. The 45-7 final score marks the second worst road loss in Cowboy history, and Dallas' 1-7 start is their worst 8 game start since 1989. The poor start prompted the firing of head Coach Wade Phillips on Monday afternoon. Defensive coordinator Jason Garrett is taking control of the team from this point on.

The Packers and Cowboys went scoreless in the first quarter before Aaron Rodgers and the Pack exploded for 28 points in the second quarter. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown of the game with 16 seconds left in the first half.

The depleted Packer defense stepped up once again to dominate the Cowboy offense. The Cowboy offense was held to just 205 total yards. The Packers forced four turnovers, including two that resulted directly in touchdowns. Dallas quarterback Jon Kitna started in place of the injured Tony Romo, and was held to 183 yards passing. Kitna threw two interceptions and had a quarterback rating of just 63.6.

Clay Matthews added several stats to his Defensive Player of the Year resume. Matthews had a sack, two tackles for losses, 2 deflected passes, and an interception returned 62 yards for a touchdown. Matthews joked after the game that his Lambeau Leap wasn't acceptable...

"I think I might actually hang back and work on my Lambeau Leap skills," he said.






Charles Woodson added five solo tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, and Sam Shields recorded his first NFL interception.

Just before halftime Nick Collins recovered a fumble after a Packer kickoff and returned it for a touchdown. Even though the runner was likely down by contact, Dallas could not challenge the play because they wasted all their timeouts earlier in the half.

The Packers played just as well on offense. Aaron Rodgers was stellar, and threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns on 27 of 34 attempts for a quarterback rating of 131.5. Rodgers also ran the ball 5 times for 41 yards. John Kuhn added 13 carries for 50 yards, and Brandon Jackson carried the ball 13 times for 42 yards and a touchdown. Jackson caught an eight yard touchdown pass as well.

Greg Jennings and James Jones had big games with Donald Driver out with a quad injury. Jennings caught seven passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Jones caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Seven different Packers caught at least one pass.

The Packers didn't take the struggling Cowboys lightly, and were able to humiliate them by controlling the ball, forcing turnovers, and limiting penalties.

"This is a big win for us, regardless of the record and regardless of who came in here tonight," said Charles Woodson. "It's a positive for us to go into the bye week like that. It will be good for us to reflect on this game and know what we're capable of as a whole team. If we play the whole game, all three phases of the game, we can have dominant performances like this."

The Packer win keeps them on top of the division going into a much needed bye week. The Packers will have an extra week to get healthy before heading to Minnesota for the second matchup with the Vikings.

Badgers Top Boilermakers, Move Up In BCS Standings

The Wisconsin Badgers (8-1, 4-1 Big Ten) beat the Purdue Boilermakers (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten) on Saturday.

Purdue came out hot and was all over the Badgers for most of the first half. After trailing the Boilermakers 10-6 at halftime, the Badgers held Purdue to just a field goal and scored four touchdowns in the second half on their way to a commanding 34-13 victory.

"Give credit to Purdue, they came in all jacked up," Bielema said. "At halftime, we regrouped, I changed my jacket. I think we just wanted to take a different approach to the second half and relax. I told the guys that we didn't need any superhuman effort, we just need to go out there and execute the fundamentals of what we do."

The Badgers calmed down in the second half and stuck to their gameplan to come away victorious.

Once again, defense and the running game led the Badgers to victory. The Badgers forced four turnovers, including three interceptions. Cornerback Antonio Fenelus had a career high nine tackles, recovered a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Fenelus was named a Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week after his efforts Saturday (award shared with Penn State linebacker Michael Mauti).

Linebackers Mike Taylor and Culmer St. Jean added interceptions, and Taylor, JJ Watt, and Pat Muldoon each picked up a sack.

The Badger offense saw most of its production come from running back Montee Ball. With James White out with an injury and John Clay not quite 100%, Ball saw the majority of the carries on offense. Ball had 21 carries for 127 yards and found the endzone twice.

"I knew I was going to play this game, get more carries than I did before in a game situation," Ball said. "I knew the team was going to look at me and expect me to carry the load. I didn't want to let them down at all."

Clay gained 42 yards on 12 carries.  He needs just 71 yards to reach 1,000 yards on the season, and has three more games to accomplish this feat for the second straight year.

With the victory the Badgers moved from #9 to #7 in the BCS standings. The Big Ten currently has four teams (#9 Ohio State, #11 Michigan State, and #13 Iowa the other three) in the top 13 teams in the nation.

Next weekend the Badgers face Indiana (4-5, 0-5 Big Ten) at home.

Funny New ESPN Ad

You gotta love Bango and Young Buck in this witty ESPN ad!

Wisconsin Sports Update

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks opened the 2010-2011 season by winning just one of their first three games. Saturday night's win was significant, though, as point guard Brandon Jennings had his first NBA triple-double in the win over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Jennings scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

"This is my best game since I've been in the NBA, just the fact that I had a nose for the ball and I was being unselfish and I was everywhere," said Jennings. "I was being a floor general tonight."

The Bucks play Portland on Tuesday night and travel to Boston to face the Celtics on Wednesday.


Wisconsin Badgers


Despite not having a game this weekend, the Badgers jumped up a spot in the BCS standings. Now at #9, the Badgers are the highest Big Ten team in the standings. Michigan State, previously #5, was decimated by Iowa and dropped to #14. Iowa sits at #16, with Ohio State at #11.

The Badgers play at Purdue this weekend.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers relied on strong defensive play to take down the New York Jets on Sunday. The Jets came into the game after their bye week, riding a five game winning streak, and tied for the best record in the NFL. The Packers, who are struggling through several key injuries this season, felt this game was a statement about the team's drive and desire.

"We wanted to come in here and prove to everybody what we're all about,"said Clay Matthews. "We've had a few close losses that we thought we should have won. We let our play do our talking."

Turnovers and penalties were the name of the game. The Packers had their first turnover-free game of the season, and had just three penalties for 15 yards. Both Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams ripped interceptions away from Jet receivers. Williams also recovered a fumble.

Special teams were huge in the Packer win. Mason Crosby hit three of four field goal attempts for the only points of the game. Punter Tim Masthay pinned the Jets inside the 20 yardline five times out of eight punts. On a windy day the field position battle was huge.


The Packers, now 5-3, have sole possession of first place in the NFC North. The Dallas Cowboys (without Tony Romo) come to Lambeau on Sunday night.

Packer Roster Moves

The Green Bay Packers signed three linebackers on Wednesday.

Matt Wilhelm was signed out of free agency. He is an inside linebacker who has played in 82 games over an eight game career, most recently for San Diego. Wilhelm takes the place of Maurice Simkins, who was released by the Packers.

Diyral Briggs was claimed off wagers from the Denver Broncos. He is an outside linebacker who has played in just six games in his career. He takes a roster spot from Brady Poppinga, who was placed on the injured reserve list after the Miami game.

Erik Walden was also signed off the free agency list after being released by Miami earlier this season. Walden has played in 28 career games.

Big Weekend for Wisconsin Sports

Both the Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers held on in close games to beat rival opponents this weekend. The 13th ranked Badgers came out of Iowa with a win over the 15th ranked Hawkeyes on Saturday, and Sunday night the Packers beat the Vikings in what was likely Brett Favre's last trip to Lambeau Field.

#13 Wisconsin - 31, #15 Iowa - 30

The Badgers overcame injuries to three huge offensive weapons - Lance Kendricks, James White, and Nick Toon - and still managed to beat Iowa 31-30. This was the first time since 2004 that the Badgers won consecutive games against ranked opponents. Wisconsin ended a two-game losing streak against Iowa as they regained the Heartland Trophy, and evened up the all-time series at 42-42-2.

The loss of James White put John Clay solely in charge of the rushing game. He ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns against one of the best run defenses in the conference. Montee Ball added three carries for 18 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. Ball was also a huge factor in the passing game, catching five passes for 41 yards. Ball proved he still is a valuable asset to this offense, even though his playing time has dropped since James White's emergence.

Scott Tolzein was extremely efficient once again this week, despite throwing an interception. Tolzein finished 20 of 26 for 205 yards and threw a touchdown pass to fullback Bradie Ewing.

The real story this game was coaching. It was obvious Brett Bielema wanted to come away from his alma mater with a win. Bielema's playcalling was phenomenal, and his gutsy calls paid off. Bielema called a fake punt in the middle of the fourth quarter. Punter Brad Nortman ran for 17 yards, and kept the drive alive. The Badgers went on to complete a 15 play, 80 yard drive, with an eight yard touchdown run from Ball, and took a one point lead with a minute left in the game.

Poor clock management by Iowa and a huge sack from JJ Watt kept Iowa out of field goal range. Watt also blocked an extra point attempt early in the game, a play that at the time seemed irrelevant, but turned out to be extremely important.

Bielema was extremely pleased with the way his team has played the past 2 weeks:

“Two pretty good weeks,” Bielema said. “I tell you what, it makes this (bye) week even that much more special.”

The Badgers' record improves to 7-1, 3-1 in the Big Ten, while Iowa drops to 5-2, also 3-1 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin moved to #10 in the BCS standings. The Badgers sit next weekend out, but return to action in 2 weeks at Purdue.

Green Bay - 28, Minnesota - 24

The Green Bay Packers righted the sinking ship on Sunday night by beating the Vikings, ending a 2 game losing streak and putting themselves back on top of the NFC North. The Packers, now 4-2, are tied for first with the Bears, who hold the tiebreaker with their head-to-head victory.

Both the Packers and Vikings came out firing. The first half was filled with offense, as the teams entered halftime with the Vikings leading 17-14. The Pack struck first in the second half with a touchdown pass to Greg Jennings. Then the defense took over.

The Packers were able to pressure Brett Favre into 2 terrible interceptions, both caused by linebacker blitzes.  A.J. Hawk picked Favre for a 21 yard return, and Desmond Bishop returned a Favre interception 32 yards for a touchdown. Nick Collins picked off Favre on the ensuing drive on an excellent defensive play.

Favre managed to bring the Vikings downfield and score a touchdown on the following drive, making the game 28-24. The Packers' defense stiffened on the final drive, not allowing Favre another 4th quarter comeback.

Rodgers was a little off for much of the game, missing receivers and throwing 2 bad interceptions. However, he was 21 of 34 for 295 yards with touchdown passes to Jennings and Andrew Quarless. The rushing game combined to gain 84 yards, with Brandon Jackson rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The Packer defense only managed to sack Brett Favre once, but was able to pressure him in the second half, forcing bad throws.

Vikings' coach Brad Childress criticized Favre's ball control after the game:

"You can't throw it to them, you've got to play within the confines of our system," Childress said of Favre. "Sometimes it's OK to punt the football. You can't give seven points going the other way, not in a game like this."

Aaron Rodgers acknowledged the significance of this victory:

"Our biggest rival and the close score, the way it ended, it was definitely a special night for us," Rodgers said.

The Packers go on the road next weekend to face the New York Jets.

NCAA Basketball: Preseason Coaches Poll Released

The first coaches poll was released today for the 2010-2011 NCAA Basketball season.

Five Big Ten teams made the poll, including Michigan St. Ohio St., Purdue, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Here's how the coaches ranked the teams in the preseason:

1. Duke
2. Michigan St.
3. Kansas St.
4. Pitt
5. Ohio St.
6. Villanova
7. Kansas
8. Purdue
9. North Carolina
10. Kentucky
11. Florida
12. Gonzaga
13. Syracuse
14. Baylor
15. Missouri
16. Illinois
17. Washington
18. Butler
19. Memphis
20. Tennessee
21. Georgetown
22. Temple
23. Virginia Tech
24. Wisconsin
25. Texas

Badgers Take Out #1

For the first time since 1981 the Wisconsin Badgers emerged victorious from a matchup with the nation's top ranked team. The Badgers knocked Ohio State out of the top spot with a decisive 31-18 victory on Saturday night.

The Badgers entered the game as the #18 team in the country, the underdog at home against the Buckeyes. The combination of a consistent running game and tough defense helped the Badgers prove the oddsmakers wrong and come away with a win.

This game was the most exciting sports event I've ever attended. The atmosphere was unbelievable at Camp Randall. The stadium was filled to capacity before kickoff, which hasn't happened for quite some time.

David Gilreath's opening kickoff return for a touchdown set the tone for a night full of headaches for Ohio State. The Badgers quickly added two more touchdowns, both on rushes by John Clay, to take a 21-0 lead.



Ohio State then scored 18 unanswered points, making it a three point game. The Badgers responded with a 10 play, 73 yard drive capped by a James White 12 yard touchdown run.

The Badgers managed to control the Buckeye offense for the rest of the game, and Blake Sorenson intercepted a Terelle Pryor pass late in the 4th quarter to seal the victory.

Following the victory, the crowd stormed the field despite the PA announcer's best attempts to convince us otherwise. Camp Randall became a sea red and white, as fans congratulated and celebrated with the players.

John Clay became the first player in 30 games to rush for 100 yards against the Buckeyes. He totaled 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. James White added another 75 yards and a touchdown.

Scott Tolzein threw for 152 yards and connected on 81% of his pass attempts. Nick Toon led The Badger receivers with 6 receptions for 72 yards.

David Gilreath was named the Big Ten Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance against Ohio State. Gilreath's 97 yard touchdown return made him the Big Ten's all-time leader in kickoff return yards. Gilreath finished the day with 163 total return yards, bringing his career total to 2,677 yards, passing the 2.575 yards set by Michigan State's Derrick Mason after the 1996 season.

The Badger defense held Terrelle Pryor to just 156 passing yards and 56 rushing yards. JJ Watt sacked Pryor twice, and Pat Muldoon added a sack as well. The Badger secondary didn't allow a passing touchdown.

The Badgers moved up to #10 in the new polls. Ohio State dropped to #11. The new rankings have Michigan State at #8 and Iowa at #13, making next week's game at Iowa a pivotal matchup for Wisconsin.

Oops!

Watch your hands when you have a female ref!

Two Favorite College Football Plays of the Weekend

So this weekend in the NFL was not worth writing about because the Packers are so frustrating right now. However there were two plays in college football that epitomize the reason I love it. The first one shows Andrew Luck a future NFL one round draft pick, light up USC's Shareece Wright after a fumble recovery. The second one, I love because sometimes college coaches try to get to cute and young college players make the most of the stupid decision. Surprise onside kicks are great in EA Sports NCAA 2005 but not also in the actual game, unless its the Super Bowl of course.








Vote for your favorite!

Badgers Breeze Through Homecoming Border Battle, Prepare for Matchup with #1

The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers in UW's homecoming football game on Saturday, keeping Paul Bunyan's Axe in Madison for the seventh straight year.

Wisconsin (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) rushed its way to a 41-23 victory over Minnesota (1-5, 0-2 Big Ten). The Badgers rushed for 250 yards and five touchdowns, with the majority of the production coming from John Clay and James White, who both broke 100 yards in the game. Scott Tolzein added 223 passing yards and threw a touchdown pass to Jared Abbredaris.

The Badgers bounced back from a disappointing loss to Michigan State last weekend.

"After a loss and a bad taste in your mouth, you can't look back, you've got to move forward, and I thought our guys did that," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "I can't say enough about our ground game. John Clay and James White and the big guys up front blocking up for them are really special."

This was the second time this season both Clay and White rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game. In the past three games White has amassed 361 rushing yards and has found the endzone eight times. White's emergence as a force in the running game comes at a vital point in the season as the Badgers prepare to square off with the newly labeled #1 Ohio State Buckeyes.

After #1 Alabama was upset by #19 South Carolina the Buckeyes jumped to the top spot in the polls. This will be the first time the Badgers faced a #1 team since 2007, when they traveled to Ohio State and lost, 38-17. Wisconsin seeks a different outcome this weekend.

Monday Night Matchup

The Green Bay Packers head to Soldier Field tonight looking to gain sole possession NFC North lead. The 180th matchup (the league's oldest rivalry) between these two teams marks the first time since 1962 when both teams had a record of 2-0 or better.

The Bears are coming off a big win in Dallas in which quarterback Jay Cutler was able to throw for 277 yards and three touchdowns. Cutler connected on passes to six different players, with running backs playing a key role in the passing game. The running game, however, was only able to amass 32 yards.

The Packers travel to Chicago after blowing out the Buffalo Bills 34-7 at Lambeau Field, a game I was lucky enough to attend. After struggling in the red zone in the first half, Aaron Rodgers had a stellar second half, throwing for two touchdowns and running another in. He finished the day with 255 passing yards.

The Pack saw a significant decrease in run production (not that it mattered against the Bills) after the loss of running back Ryan Grant to a season-ending ankle injury. Brandon Jackson and fullback John Kuhn saw split time as the featured back, and with the aid of Rodgers and newly acquired running back Dimitri Nance, the Packer ground game was able to combine for 91 yards, with both Rodgers and Jackson rushing for touchdowns.

Despite the offensive firepower in the second half, the real excitement from the Buffalo game came from the defense, and more specifically, Clay Matthews. For the second straight week the Claymaker collected three sacks, bringing his season total to a league-leading six. He is the first player in franchise history to have back-to-back games with three sacks, and was named last week's NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He was unstoppable off the edge, and caused Trent Edwards to consistently hurry his throws.

Things to watch for tonight:

Julius Peppers: With Packer's left tackle Chad Clifton showing signs of injury and age, rookie Bryan Bulaga may see playing time in tonight's game. He played the majority of the game last week against the Bills, but Julius Peppers is a different breed of beast. Look for Chicago to line Peppers up against Bulaga to gain a mismatch.

Clay Matthews: Kevin Kolb. Trent Edwards. Neither quarterback has played a snap since playing the Packers, largely thanks to Matthews. The Packers will use him in many different ways tonight.

Jermichael Finley: Tony Romo was able to find his tight end, Jason Witten, five times last Sunday against the Bears. Finley is a more athletic tight end than Witten, and poses huge problems for linebackers and defensive backs. Finley had his first 100 yard game last weekend, I expect to see his first (and second) touchdowns of the season tonight.

Matt Forte: Despite a poor performance last week, Forte is a premier back in the NFL. Last weekend the Bills were able to find successes against the Packers on the ground, expect the Bears to attempt the same. 

Jay Cutler/Aaron Rodgers matchup: Cutler and Rodgers are both having good seasons so far this year. While Cutler may have one more touchdown pass and one less interception than Rodgers, the Packers were able to intercept Cutler five times last season. Both quarterbacks hold mutual respect for each other, as stated in an interview with ESPN:

"It is nice to watch him have the success he has had the first two games, I think. You have got to point to, definitely, some growth in him and understanding that system coach [Mike] Martz is trying to run. It's obviously working very well for him in the first couple weeks. I'm happy for him." — Packers QB Aaron Rodgers on Cutler

"Good player, really good player. Playing at a high calibre. Did it last year. Looks like he's back on track this year. A lot of weapons over there. Tight ends, receivers, running backs. They spread it out a lot. They do some similar stuff we do — create matchups [and] he's able to find them. He moves around well. He's definitely one of the top quarterbacks in the league." —Bears QB Jay Cutler on Rodgers

NFL Eve: On the Brink of the 2010 Season

It's that time again...when web gems and bicycle kicks are replaced with one-handed catches and punt-return touchdowns. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" turns into "Bang the Drum All Day" and foam fingers are switched out for cheese heads. Yes it's football season, the best four and a half months of the year.

The 2010 NFL season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Off-season trades, high-profile benchings, quarterback suspensions, aged veterans returning (again), new stadiums, new coaches, new throwback uniforms, rule changes, international stages, and the potential for a 2011 lockout all combine to make this season one for the ages.

The 2010 season kicks off tomorrow night when the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings, a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Brett Favre returns to the Vikings for what is likely to be his last opening day start to take on Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and the high powered Saints offense.

The Green Bay Packers open their 2010 campaign in Philly on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers and the explosive Packer offense will look to outscore the Kevin Kolb quarterbacked Eagles. The Dom Capers-coached defense has a full year of the 3-4 scheme under their belts and looks to improve upon the disappointing performance in last season's playoff loss. They will have to contain the likes of DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek in order to pull out a win.

ESPN and Sports Illustrated recently released week 1 power rankings, here is the top ten:

Several rule changes are in affect this season. A new overtime system is in place. The "Hines Ward Rule" has been altered to protect all defenseless players. The umpire will now line up in the offensive backfield opposite the quarterback's throwing arm (except in the final two minutes of each half) in order to reduce the number of times that the official has been run over in the past. Replay can now be used to determine if a ball was interfered with. Plays will also be whistled dead when the ball-carrier's helmet comes off during the play.

The 2010 season is uncapped, as NFL owners voted to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in 2008. If no new CBA is arranged, a work stoppage will exist for the 2011 season. The threat of a lockout makes this season one to watch even more closely; it may be the last pro football we watch until 2012. 

Big Ten Alignment Announced

The Big 10 Conference has announced the conference alignment that will be in affect starting next season. The 2 divisions have not yet been named.

• Division 1: 
• Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin
• Division 2:
• Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota

Each school will play the other five schools in their division, as well as three teams from the other division, with one cross-division match up guaranteed annually. These are the guaranteed cross-division matchups:

• Wisconsin - Minnesota
• Ohio State - Michigan
• Penn State - Nebraska
• Purdue - Iowa
• Illinois - Northwestern
• Indiana - Michigan State

The Badgers open the 2010 season this weekend at UNLV.

Favre Intends to Play, If Healthy

On Wednesday morning Brett Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder that he intends to play in the upcoming season if his ankle recovers from surgery. He denied reports that he sent text messages to his teammates involving his intended retirement.

the saga continues...

Third Time's a Charm?

On Tuesday morning Brett Favre reportedly informed the Vikings' organization that he will retire. Brad Childress, head coach of the Vikings, has stated he has not heard from Favre directly about the situation. League sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Shefter that Favre sent the text message "This is it" to several teammates.

If Favre truly is retiring (he has already retired twice, once in March of 2008 and another time in July of 2009) he will leave as the NFL all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions, pass attempts, consecutive starts, victories as a starting quarterback, and interceptions. He remains the only player to be named league MVP three consecutive times. (Favre is also the only known grandpa playing in the NFL today)

While I personally would love to see Favre return (so Clay Matthews can say hi to his facemask) it is undeniable that Favre's retirement lays a path for the Packers to walk away with the NFC North title.

Last season the Vikings torched Green Bay through the air. Now, with Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels, or Joe Webb (who?) at the helm, the probability the Packers will surrender to the passing game is low. This leaves the weight on the shoulders of Adrian Peterson, who rushed for a total of 152 yards against the Packers last season, not exactly a high total for one of the league's best running backs.

While revenge would be sweet for the Pack, I'll gladly take a playoff run in exchange.

Hart Rewarded for Hot Season

The Milwaukee Brewers and Corey Hart reached an agreement Monday on a three-year, $26.5 million contract extension. This comes after pre-season contract arbitration and numerous mid-season trade talks.

Hart was anything but hot coming into the 2010 season. The 2009 campaign and spring training of 2010 were not high points in Hart's career. He was left out of the opening day starting line-up and failed to make the All-Star Ballot.

Despite this, Hart has lit up the field throughout the first half of the season. He made the All-Star Team by way of the players' ballot, and ended up starting for the National League due to an injury to Jason Heyward.

After trade talks surrounded Hart, he publicly announced his preference to stay a Brewer.

"In years past, I think I've pressed too much to worry about what would happen next year," he said. "I told them all along I wanted to be here [in Milwaukee], because my family likes it there and it's a comfort level. Not having to worry about that now, I can take a deep breath and go out there and relax."

As of Monday, Hart is hitting .288, with 23 homers and 72 RBI's.

"The Brewers are very excited to have Corey signed for the next three years," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said in a statement issued by the club. "He is one of our drafted and developed players and with his two-time All-Star performances, Corey deserves this contract that will provide his family security. We appreciate his wanting to remain a Brewer and a part of the Milwaukee community."