No stranger to lofting astronomical offensive numbers all around, Moore enters the 2010 season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but there is no question he must stamp each game with impressive statistics to undoubtedly stay in the Heisman hunt.

The royal Smurf Turf Broncos’ offense looks to exceed last year’s offensive fabrication as they posted the second ranked offense in all of college football racking up a little over 42 points per game.

Kellen Moore only threw for 39 touchdowns uniting with 3,536 yards and an imposing five whole interceptions, but of course his accuracy aided in moving the chains in such a proficient manner.  Parting from his offensive production, its Moore’s leadership which has compelled the Broncos to rise up to national gratitude, but the offense definitely alleviates any added strain.

Returning to a dangerous backfield is senior Jeremy Avery.  In 2009, Avery rushed for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns, but he’s not alone in the Broncos ground impound.  Doug Martin and D.J. Harper combined for an extraordinary 1,049 yards corroding the opponent’s defensive line while opening the floodgates for Boise to pile on the points.

Receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young contribute to the majority of yardage heaped up by the Broncos’ receiving core.  On the contrary, that’s the primary concern mounting up for Coach Petersen’s bunch.  Lack of depth at receiver may serve an issue over the first few weeks, but as incredibly potent as the Boise offense can spring to, many can imagine it’s only a matter of time before the depth issue dissolves.

New weapons will swiftly emerge much to the delight of quarterback Kellen Moore, just wait and see.

Allowing just five total sacks a year ago, the Boise State offensive line reveals the chief obstruction to the vitality of Kellen Moore and the entire Bronco offense.  Similar to the production concern at receiver depth, the trivially depleted O-line aren't provided with the grace period of adjusting to their surroundings, seeing as for 45 to 55 snaps, they will be at war with a predictably harsh minded defense all night in week one.

Similar to last season, Boise’s offense will be tested to a degree most can’t contend with by most during the rest of the year.  However, this is not the Oregon Ducks visiting the friendly confines of Bronco Stadium.  This year, Boise State takes their Labor Day vacation on the road to Virginia Tech’s backyard. 

It’s been hammered into the minds of college football fans nationwide, but even though the Boise State Broncos are the favorites (though not overwhelming); their first game hinges not only on just winning, but their statement will most likely define their season-long reputation in the eyes of the mainstream media.

Modernizing an offense atypical of the year’s past, Virginia Tech’s newly discovered vertical passing game is still believed to pack less of a punch as Chris Petersen’s high flying scoreboard raiders led by Heisman hopeful Kellen Moore.

Labor Day evening in Landover, Maryland’s Fed Ex Field could be the spawning grounds for a plethora of combined offensive production.

This should be fun to watch.              

Before they start thinking about the regular season, the team will have to trim its roster from 75 players to just 53 by tomorrow, September 4th. The last round of cuts are always the toughest for the coaches to make due to all the hard work and preparation that these players have put in during the off-season.

I decided to share my take for the "right 53" players that will still be on this team after tomorrow commences.

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It's hard to lie the blame solely at Nowitzki's feet for something that is by all means a team accomplishment, but when history looks back on his time with the Mavericks, he will still carry the brunt of responsibility for their failures.

Why?

Nowitzki has been recognized as one of the NBA's premier talents almost from the moment he entered the league, and Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban has been more than willing to surround the German-born star with quality help.

In fact Dallas has been among the NBA's top teams in terms of talent since 2004, but the Mavericks have come to be defined by their epic collapses in the postseason rather than success.

During the 2006 regular season Dallas was one of the NBA's top teams, and the trendy choice to win the first championship in the history of the franchise.

Up 2-1 on the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, Dallas appeared ready to finally live up to their promise, but instead they became an unwilling participant in the crowning of Dwyane Wade as a bonafide NBA superstar.

With the series on the line Dallas was unable to prevent Wade from penetrating the lane, and either scoring or getting to the free throw line, and the Mavericks helped the Miami Heat's cause by choking at the charity stripe.

It was a career-defining moment for Wade, and another glowing example of the Mavericks' tendency to bend under pressure when it matters the most.

2006's collapse was bad for Dallas but in the eyes of many 2007 was worse, because the Mavericks finished the regular season as the Western Conference's top seed only to be spirited out of the postseason by eighth seed Golden State in six games.

The loss to Golden State seemed to solidify the theory that Dallas was incapable of winning in the postseason, and even though Nowitzki excelled in each instance, he couldn't escape the shadow of failure.

It has never been a question of talent with Nowitzki, because he is arguably the most unique player in the game today.

I have always been intrigued by the thought of a true seven foot player with perimeter skills and Nowitzki not only fits the description, he shatters it.

Nowitzki has averaged 22.8 points per game and 8.5 rebounds, while shooting an astounding 38 percent from three point range through the course of his career.

Nowitzki's seven foot frame makes it next to impossible to block his jump shot, and even if a player does time it just right he would still be foiled by Nowitzki's quick release, or his feathery touch.

Some people consider Nowitzki to be a power forward and although he has decent rebounding numbers, his game is much better-suited for the perimeter, and he is clearly more comfortable there than in the paint.

Nowitzki is in essence the perfect example of a nightmare match-up, and unless an opponent has a player on their roster who is long, and comfortable defending the perimeter, they will always lose that positional battle.

Nowitzki has lived up to the hype in the regular season and his career numbers have been even better in the playoffs, as he has averaged 25. 6 points and 11 rebounds, while shooting 46 percent from the field.

But despite those impressive numbers it's hard to explain the Mavericks' inability to get over the postseason hump, and popular opinion around the NBA says Nowitzki will have another great season in 2010-11 and Dallas will lose again in the playoffs.

With Nowitzki, the conversation has shifted to questions about his heart and desire because it's almost impossible to argue with anything he has done on the court.

The Mavericks once again have one of the league's most talented and complete rosters, and on paper they look like a good bet to make a deep run into the postseason.

They have size in players like Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler, and they have plenty of athleticism and defensive talent in Caron Butler and Shawn Marion.

Although Jason Kidd is past his prime he remains one of the NBA's better point guards, and Dallas has one of the league's most explosive sixth men in Jason Terry.

Of course, Nowitzki is the superstar that brings it all together, except if last year's postseason was an omen of things to come there was little inspiration to be found.

Nowitzki had another excellent postseason averaging 26 points per game while shooting 54 percent from the field, and 57 percent from the three point line, yet the Mavericks failed to advance past the first round.

It has become somewhat of a cruel joke when Dallas is installed as a contender for the West because no one outside of die-hard Mavericks' fans really expects them to win.

Nowitzki to his credit has been a class act, and even though he has opportunities to leave, Nowitzki has proved that he is a Maverick for the duration of his career, for better or worse.

It's more than likely going to be worse but that should not diminish what Nowitzki has brought to the game of basketball in general, and the Mavericks' franchise in particular.

I'm not sure if Nowitzki can ever escape the company of great players who have never won a championship like Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, or John Stockton.

But Nowitzki's career numbers certainly suggest that he deserves to be mentioned in the same "great" breath with those three players, whether he ever wins a ring or not.

Also, you are looking at the best-looking man with gold instead of teeth. Somehow, he pulls it off.

For many years, Chris Johnson would have been the automatic first pick. But as fantasy football has evolved, many avid players have deviated from the usual snake draft format, but have instead moved onto what some call the big boy version of fantasy football.

The auction draft.

Auction drafters look at Vitamin C.J. and see someone they just can’t afford. The average value on many websites is $50 for Johnson’s services.

Which doesn’t include a happy ending.

Thank God.

High dollar amounts can scare the auction amateur away. But fear not, because if there’s one thing I hate, it’s seeing people draft so badly that they forget to pick up a quarterback.

Oh, and Dakota Fanning. But that’s a separate story.

So how can you save your money and get a team that’s stacked for the season at the same time? Well, aiming for some of these fellas is a good way to start.

Or, just get someone to sponsor your team and spend their money. That’s always a good plan.

Follow me on Twitter and read more at L.A. Sports Examiner.

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The Mets jumped out to an early lead with a David Wright two RBI double in the top of the first off Randy Wells. They added another run on a botched double play off the bat of Joaquin Arias to take a 3-0 lead.

R.A. Dickey looked like his stellar self through the first three innings, allowing only one hit. However, with two outs in the fourth and a run already home, Alfonso Soriano crushed a 3-run homer to left to give the Cubbies the lead.

The Mets would fight back to tie the game in the top of sixth when recent call-up Lucas Duda notched his first major league hit and RBI with a double down the line in right. Although Duda had been 0-for-10 before his hit, Jerry Manuel had been raving about his performance in batting practice the last few days. Duda’s hard work finally paid off.

Though Duda’s RBI tied the game, Dickey uncharacteristically could not protect the lead. Once again with two outs but this time in the sixth inning, Dickey allowed a 3-run bomb to Blake DeWitt to give the Cubs a 7-4 lead. The wind had been blowing out fiercely to right field all day, and DeWitt used that to his advantage.

Over the next two innings, the Mets mounted a comeback with solo homers from David Wright (his 23^rd of the year) and Luis Hernandez (his first home run since 9/27/2007) to cut the Cubs lead to one run.

However, the Mets could only muster a two-out walk in the ninth against the erratic Carlos Marmol, who picked up his 26^th save in the Cubs’ win.

It was great to see Duda get his first hit in a clutch situation. He had been robbed a few times this last week, but now he has a moment he will never forget.

Wright and Angel Pagan each had three hits which was also a good sign, especially for Pagan who had sat out the last few games with a wrist injury.

As for Dickey, the two “two-out” 3-run homers did him in today. He falls to 9-6 on the season. Though the Mets provided Dickey with some runs for a change, his knuckleball did not fool Soriano or DeWitt.

Good luck to Jenrry Mejia, who makes his first major league start tomorrow.

It will also be the first time Robert Bolden plays in front of a crowd of over 100,000.

Think he’s nervous?

Personally, I couldn’t imagine having too many hours of sleep tonight if I were in that situation.

As Penn State fans, we expect a blowout. We expect a solid offensive and defensive performance against lower-tier non-conference clashes. When Bolden takes the first couple snaps and starts to feel comfortable with his game, we’ll hopefully be able to see why the coaches made the decision to start a true freshman instead of Kevin Newsome, Matt McGloin, or Paul Jones.

Honestly, Penn State fans should expect a heavy dose of the running game, mixed in with a couple easy screen passes or short routes to get Bolden used to the college game in a high-performance arena. At least to start the game off.

Then, come the third or fourth quarter, you’ll see the backups get some more snaps as the Lions start to pull away. Typical opening day at Beaver Stadium.

But what should we look for from our starter?

Robert Bolden is a strong thrower. He’s extremely nimble around the pocket, but doesn’t think to scramble first, although he has the talent. Maintaining his poise and having good presence will be the major key to success at this level. If he can prove to stand tall in the pocket and lead the offense to successful drives, I think the kid has a bright future.

Will he play away the following week in Tuscaloosa? That remains to be seen. Remember, the Lions still have three other quarterbacks chomping at the bit, determined to make any and every effort to win the coaches’ affection.

But for now, that lies with Mr. Bolden – quarterback, true freshman, starter.

The Miami Heat forward was spotted Friday evening at the Wadsworth vs. Wooster football game in Wooster, Ohio, supposedly to watch his cousin who starts for Wadsworth.

This continues a trend of potentially awkward moments between the former King and his old kingdom, and according to James it won’t be the last.

LeBron has taken to his twitter account publicly rooting for the Ohio State Buckeyes in their upcoming game September 11^th against, of all teams, the Miami Hurricanes, the same school James and other members of the Heat have been frequenting for pick up games.

James has also hinted at the possibility of attending the game, much to the objection of Buckeye fans.

Now we’ve all had those awkward moments where we run into an old flame at the movies, grocery store, or other common area. First, you try not to act like you notice them, then you strategically devise a master plan to avoid being seen, and exit the area as if you were breaking out of Shawshank itself.

James now becomes that significant other, and seems to be relishing all the attention that comes with it.  While Cleveland fans are going through the “it’s over with, let’s move on” stage, everywhere they look their South Beach bound ex is there to greet them, like nothing ever happened.

Cedar Point is one example.  Not only does LeBron strut around like the locals won’t notice, but he again makes like a bird and lets the whole world know he’s back. Naturally, he received the proper heckling shooting hoops no less (he missed every shot). Florida has Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios, so why are you at Cedar Point?

As oblivious as he was when he did his ESPN special, LeBron needs to realize he isn’t welcome in the majority of the state. Yes, Akron will still welcomes him back simply because of the money his publicity raises in his basketball camps and bike-a-thons (even though he cut his usual ride short by 8 miles) but outside of the Rubber City, who really wants him around?

The real kicker was when his girlfriend and mother of his children, Savannah Brinson, publicly announced that Cleveland was “home” and that Miami was “not my favorite place."

It was also announced that his two children, LeBron Jr. and Bryce Maximus would stay in Akron area schools. What was once a 30 mile difference between work and home now becomes 1,200. Brinson also stated that she would be splitting time between Miami and Akron. This brings up one small dilemma, while LeBron and Savannah are sipping Mojitos watching the South Beach sunset, who’s going to be watching the kids?

With all these great reasons to stay in Ohio, the question would be, why not just stay in Ohio? James doesn’t even seem to realize that he left, like his Decision was all just one brainwashed incident that he went along with just like any other commercial shoot he’s been through.

LeBron, please quit acting like a 13-year-old girl trying to make your ex boyfriend jealous.  We treated you like the princess you were, and you left us for the senior with the tattoo and the bike. 

Sure, you’ll have fun for awhile, but soon we’ll get a call from you one lonely night, crying and begging for us to take you back. Sadly, we’ll shake our head and decline, saying you had your chance.

And that’s our final Decision.

“I still feel I can play and contribute to a team,” Primeau told the Sun. “Hopefully someone steps forward and gives me a chance.”

“My ultimate wish is to come back to Toronto for another season and be a veteran (presence) to help the younger guys. But it seems to be looking dimmer and dimmer as the days go on.”

With the Maple Leafs becoming a younger team each year and very unlikely to win the Stanley Cup this season, is it really fitting for a 15-year veteran who has never won a Stanley Cup to return to Toronto?

No.

The Maple Leafs have too many bottom-six forwards (which Primeau is) for him to fit on the roster. Even if he were to play on the wing, he still wouldn’t fit. Colby Armstrong, Luca Caputi, Colton Orr, Mike Brown, and Fredrick Sjostrom all have more important roles with the Maple Leafs, and add just as much grit, if not more.

At age 35, if Primeau were to return to the Maple Leafs, he would be the oldest player on the roster (current oldest player is Jean-Sebastien Giguere at age 33) and the oldest forward on the roster by seven years.

Not just that, but the signing of Primeau would also take away crucial cap space from general manager Brian Burke, who is currently trying to use that cap space, and possibly Tomas Kaberle, to fill the forward hole in the Maple Leafs lineup.

With that being said, not only would returning to Toronto be a poor career decision by Primeau, but it would also be a poor decision by Burke, who already has enough veterans on the roster.

Primeau has scored just 194 points (69 goals, 125 assists) in 774 regular season games. Three of those goals and five of those assists came in 54 games with the Maple Leafs in 2009-2010. He was acquired from the Calgary Flames in July of 2009 along with a 2011 second-round draft pick for Anton Stralman, Colin Stuart, and a 2012 seventh-round draft pick.

Follow Lukas on Twitter @lukas_nhl. Check out Buds In Blue for in-depth analysis, opinion, news, and rumors on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Big Ten is officially split in two divisions (yet to be named) starting next year. One division features Michigan, Iowa, and Nebraska as the main powers, with Northwestern, Minnesota, and Michigan State bringing up the rest of the division.

In “Division Two,” Penn State will be facing off against Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois on a yearly basis, with the Nebraska Cornhuskers becoming a cross-division rivalry for the Lions.

The announcement came late this past week, reviving the two latest Big Ten members’ rivalry that really took force back in the 1980s. The game most noted by Lion fans was mid-season 1982 when the Cornhuskers traveled to Happy Valley ranked No. 2 in the nation, only to be upset by the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions late in the game, solidifying the start of a great season for Joe Paterno and the first National Championship in program history.

More recently in 2002, the rivalry was renewed when the Lions hosted No. 7 Nebraska in front of a sold-out, record-setting crowd of 110,753, who witnessed the 25^th-ranked Nittany Lions pummel its opposition 40-7. It was Penn State’s first victory over a top 10 team since 1999.

With the division change, Penn State loses its yearly rivalry games against Michigan State in the battle for the Land Grant Trophy as well as Minnesota for the Governor’s Victory Bell. But the always exciting battle against that team from Columbus will also continue as well.

Aside from a new yearly game with the Huskers, Penn State gets an opportunity to rule their side of the conference along with Ohio State and, for now at least, Wisconsin. It’s an exciting thought when you consider all the possibilities in the years to come.

Upsets against Ohio State now are accentuated on a much larger scale. Conference wins appear so much more attractive with the thought of a championship berth at the end of the season within reach.

A championship berth means one extra game. One extra game means players in consistent game form, an issue of late with Big Ten teams entering bowl season. A championship game also improves the record, and thus the ranking, of the reigning Big Ten champion in the polls.

It took years for Joe Paterno to finally get his wish, but it’s here: The Big Ten now has the chance to become a top power conference once again.

To me, it’s only fitting for Mr. Paterno to be able to experience a season he’s been after for years, and just one more season in 2011 seems to be the perfect ending to a fantastic legacy.

Of course, the ball would seriously need to bounce Arkansas’s way in order for that to happen. If you are looking for a player to build a possible dark horse around in year three of the Bobby Petrino era in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks certainly have a signal-caller as talented as anybody in the country.

Ryan Mallett, a one-time starter as a true freshman at Michigan, is back to lead the offense at quarterback for Arkansas. Last season as a redshirt sophomore in his first season leading the Razorbacks, Mallett threw for 3,627 yards and 30 touchdowns, compared to just seven interceptions.

Mallett’s numbers are good news for Arkansas, coming off an 8-5 campaign with an overtime victory over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.

After opening the season with two tailor-made cupcakes in Tennessee Tech and Louisiana-Monroe, the success of the Razorbacks will be determined over the next four games.

The gauntlet begins on Sept. 18 at Georgia. After the road tilt in Athens, defending national champions Alabama come to Fayetteville on Sept. 25 before Arkansas rounds out the murder’s row slate with a neutral site game in Arlington, TX with Texas A&M and a road trip to Auburn.

Even if Arkansas finishes the first six games with a 3-3 record worst-case scenario, the Razorbacks would like their chances to finish 9-3 with LSU coming to Little Rock to cap-off the regular season. LSU and Arkansas have developed into a mini-rivalry with the last five games being decided by five points or less, two of them in overtime.

Last season, Arkansas was 3-4 at one point before winning four of its last five regular season games. When Arkansas was 1-2, the Razorbacks trounced Texas A&M comfortably, 47-19

If Arkansas can finish 6-0 in the first half of the campaign, a shock national title run is not out of the realm of possibilities for Mallett and Petrino.

Sophomore Ronnie Wingo Jr. looks set to get the start in the backfield for Arkansas. As a freshman in 2009, Wingo rushed for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Broderick Green, a load in the backfield at nearly 250 lbs., rushed for 11 touchdowns last season and also returns for Arkansas.

Greg Childs is the leading returnee at wide receiver coming off a campaign where he caught 48 passes for 897 yards and seven scores. Along with Childs, Joe Adams, and Cobi Hamilton averaged over 18 yards per grab. Adams and Hamilton combined for 48 grabs and 10 touchdowns.

Despite all the weapons in the world in the passing game, the success and blame of this offense falls squarely on the shoulders of the ballyhooed Mallett.

Mallett has the ability to shred defenses in the SEC, especially in his second year running an offense in what is unquestionably the best defensive conference in the country.

With Mallett firing on all cylinders, the Razorbacks will figure heavily into the Southeastern Conference race in 2010.

And since Ariel Helwani and Ben Fowlkes weren’t available, that honor is bestowed upon yours truly.

Kenda Perez and I had some good times as a fictional married couple, but when she started threatening to soccer kick my pet hippo Pride FC-style, I knew things wouldn’t work out in the long run.

From what I hear, Miss Celeste is a hippo lover, so it is a match made in heaven.

My hippo brings all the girls to the yard and they’re like…um, I am getting off-topic here. That is what 10 cups of coffee will do to you on a Friday afternoon.

Anyway, welcome to the fifth installment of MMA Sweet Tweets here on Bleacher Report. You know the drill by now, every Friday I compile a list of some of the coolest MMA personalities to follow on Twitter.

Who will I mention this week?

But first, make sure to follow my fictional wife @AriannyCeleste and be sure to send her tweets about how her new fictional husband, Mitch Ciccarelli, totally reeks of awesomeness.

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For Lattimore, he proved why there was so much hype surrounding him coming out of high school. He certainly did not disappoint in his debut. He helped to carry the load and got positive yards when it was needed. Don’t judge his effort by looking solely at his total of 54 rushing yards as he had two key rushing touchdowns early in the game. He did his damage on 14 rushing attempts - double the number of the player with the second most carries - and two pass receptions. Lattimore had 16 touches in his first college game and showcased the power, speed and pass-catching ability that made him a superstar at Byrnes High School.

For Gamecock fans, it was pleasant to see not only the success Marcus had in his debut but a commitment from Spurrier on running the ball. It was no coincidence that the Gamecocks put up their highest score and most rushing yards (196) for a single game in four years. The running game has been the missing ingredient for USC for a number of years. Spurrier’s offensive philosophy depends on a good ground attack.

Having Lattimore adds a wrinkle to the Spurrier game plan. Not only is he speedy, elusive and strong, but he has excellent vision, anticipates the play developing, and brings a leadership style the USC offense needs.

To go along with that hard-nosed downfield running style, is a great set of eyes that allows him to see the hole or see the play develop. With the vision, is a knack for knowing how to make a guy miss. The cuts he made to find the end zone were by no means an accident. He can “feel a play” very well which helps get those extra yards or in this case 6 points.

Leadership through action rather than words is a breath of fresh air in Carolina.  Lattimore is somewhat soft spoken but gets it done on the field.  He is quick to deflect praise on himself to his teammates.  In today’s world of sports, this team first attitude is nice to see.

All these traits and his abilities that Lattimore possesses are great for Spurrier’s program as it aims for success on the gridiron.

For USC to have the accomplishments that many believe they are capable of in 2010, it begins with a flourishing run game.  Lattimore will have plenty of opportunities to build upon the first game triumphs.  Next up is his SEC debut, Georgia better be ready as he will only improve with each carry given. 

Could USC have found the ingredient it needs to make a run at uncharted SEC territory?

For more "garnet tainted" opinions and insight, please check out www.leftoverhotdog.com as your Gamecocks blog of choice.

Crayton, who had been with the Cowboys since they drafted him in 2004, saw his roll in the Cowboys passing offense decline after Dallas selected Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant in the first-round of the draft this past April.

Due to his decreased roll, Crayton's agent Fred Lyles had asked the Cowboys to grant his client an outright release before Saturday's 5 p.m. deadline when teams are required to set their 53-man rosters.

"It seems he doesn't figure in their plans so it's not logical to be on the roster until Saturday," Lyles said.

He continued with, "We don't see the use in prolonging it."

Crayton is scheduled to make $2 million this season.

While this may seem like a good preseason pick-up for the Chargers, it could spell disaster for those undrafted free-agent rookies that are on the bubble to make the roster or even the practice squad.

Crayton will look to be the number three receiver behind Malcolm Floyd and Legedu Naanee. Both Floyd and Naanee had great preseason appearances in the absence of Vincent Jackson.

With Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson adamant about sitting out the entire season, it created an opportunity for veteran wide receivers Josh Reed and Buster Davis to move up on the depth chart, while possibly giving rookie wide receivers Seyi Ajirotutu and Jeremy Williams a chance to make the team and be called upon in four wide receiver sets.

It will be interesting to see how the next 24 hours plays out, and to find out what players will be wearing gold and blue this season.

Unfortunately, in this case, only time will tell.

With that in mind, let's breakdown the possibility into reality.

Heading into his third NBA season, Durant is just a mere 33 points shy of 6,000 points. This last year, Durant averaged an impressive 30.1 (PPG) and I see no reason why he can't continue to keep doing so.

Now just because Durant is putting up amazing numbers does not guarantee that he will be able to sustain a consistent average of (PPG) throughout his entire career.

There are many things that could get in the way of this dream-type possibility turning into reality. Injuries, laziness, and age can all affect Durant from surpassing Kareem.

Before I go into the details, let's take into account that Durant has not officially stated the desire to even attempt to become the all-time scoring champion. In fact, Durant said that his ultimate goal is to win championships.

So with that, let's try and breakdown Durant's possible future numbers.

Minimal Number Of Years Needed To Play

At the rate Durant's going, it will take him about 15 more years to pass Kareem, oh and he has to average at least 30 (PPG) every year of his career.

Realistically it won't happen, but with great players, you just never know.

Taking MJ's Spot

Though I don't see Durant surpassing Kareem, I could see him taking Michael Jordan's #3 spot. Jordan scored 32,292 points in his career, that is about 6,000 less than Kareem, so it is more realistic.

Future Numbers/Career

As of right now, Durant is averaging 25.3 (PPG), but we all know he can average more if he wants to, so I would expect Durant to average somewhere around 30 (PPG) in the next five years, and around 20 (PPG) any year after that.

If Durant could manage to do so, it would still be an amazing achievement, whether or not he takes a spot as one of the top three scorers of all time.

The fact that Durant is a jump shooter, it would be very difficult to near impossible to score as much as Kareem did. Kareem could score so much due to his position and his style of play. Kareem was always near the bucket and he had many second chance oportunities due to his size, and let's not forget how great Kareem was fundamentally. He could score anyway he wanted to, whether that be from his signature hook shot, dunking, or shooting mid range jumpers, he could do it all.

That's not exactly the case for Durant. He may be a very good all-around player, but he won't have as many chances under the basket as Kareem did and for that reason, it will be near impossible to score so much. It would be very hard for Durant to be as consistent as Kareem merely because Durant has to shoot lower percentage shots and like I said, I just don't see him surpassing Kareem.

Andre Iguadala, Genius Or Moron?

“Kevin Durant will be the NBA’s all-time leading scorer when it’s all said and done,” Iguodala said emphatically, “He loves the game and has a knack for putting the ball in the basket.”

This is what Andre Iguadala told the media just recently.

I'd say he's neither actually, Iguadala just hasn't thought this through and I hope this piece I've presented at least gave you a better idea of this debate, don't be the next Iguadala and make a fool out of yourself.

Defensively, the Gators are expecting big things from safety Will Hill and cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who have both been named to the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award.

Linebacker Jelani Jenkins and defensive end Ronald Powell are two more guys to keep an eye on this fall. Jenkins can flat-out fly and Powell was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country.

While Florida lost a lot of guys to the NFL, it still has a lot of talent coming back. However, this talent must prove itself. Playmakers must be identified on both sides of the football.

The biggest area of concern may be at the second cornerback spot. Jeremy Brown and Moses Jenkins must be up to the task as teams look to throw away from Janoris Jenkins.

Miami Ohio is coming off a 1-11 season, and has been picked by many to bring up the rear in the MAC East again this year.

The RedHawks are giving up a ton in the talent category, so they’ll likely need to force some turnovers in order to keep this one within the number Saturday. To give you some comparisons, Miami Ohio fell to Kentucky 42-0 in last season’s opener. And it fell 48-0 to Boise State the following week.

However, with nearly all the offense back, Head Coach Mike Haywood doesn’t expect to be as much of a pushover this season.

The offense is led by quarterback Zach Dysert, who had to carry the load while the running game struggled last season. I know Haywood wants to get more out of the running attack this year, but that won’t be easy against Florida. In other words, Dysert will likely have to provide the offense Saturday.

The Miami defense is led by middle linebacker Jerrell Wedge. Wedge was an animal last season. He recorded 114 tackles, and 18.5 of them were for loss. I’m excited to see how he will stack up against Florida’s elite athletes.

If you want more college football game previews, check out the latest articles released at my site.  Check back each week for our expert college football picks, as the top college football handicappers in the industry break down just about every single game on the schedule.

After five seasons with the New York Giants, Derrick Ward signed a four-year, $17 million deal as an unrestricted free agent with the Buccaneers in 2009.

Ward was a big-time playmaker as a 1,000-yard rusher two years ago with the Giants, but he struggled to make the transition in a new offense in Tampa Bay.

In a limited role as a backup for the revitalized Cadillac Williams, who was coming off a major knee surgery, Ward rushed for 409 yards and one touchdown, averaging a fairly solid 3.6 yards per carry last season. 

He was discharged on Tuesday after the Bucs trimmed its roster to 75 players.

Despite seeing decreased numbers in preseason, Texans fans should be optimistic of Ward’s arrival to Houston. 

With Steve Slaton and Jeremiah Johnson nursing toe injuries and rookie second-round-pick Ben Tate out for the season, the free agent pick-up could be a great addition for the Texans’ now bolstered backfield for 2010. 

In the last three seasons, Ward has only started nine games. In spite of this, he was valued as a solid backup, playing in 38 games under some premier talent.  In that time frame, Ward received 421 carries, rushing for 2,036 yards on the ground. 

It’s tough to say whether he’ll have a spot with the Texans next season as Tate returns, but I anticipate he’ll make the most of his time under the spotlight.

Verse of this Piece

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Don’t use your mouth to tell lies; don’t ever say things that are not true.  Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good.” —Proverbs 4:23-25

My dad’s son has written a verse with nearly every article since he began with his 50th piece. This is just something small to illustrate his glory for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

He hopes this will inspire someone to speak out about their love for God, without fear, and perhaps one day start somewhat of a trend. God Bless and Carpe Diem!

While I felt about commenting on many things such as the debuting of Dos Caras Jr. as Alberto Del Rio, the interesting concept of NXT, or the Nexus storyline, I held my tongue and chose to watch and enjoy allowing others to voice opinions. I shared, silently agreeing, perhaps even commenting if I found their view lacked some points.

However, I cannot even begin to stress the shock I felt when it was revealed NXT season 3 featured an all female cast. Now it's not that I don't enjoy women wrestling, in fact, I enjoy it very much.

On the other hand, unlike those that simply marvel at the glory days of Trish and Lita, or praise the ring work of MsChif (whom to clarify I feel is the greatest female wrestler going today), Mickie James, or Awesome kong, I find the ever increasing ability of Kelly Kelly, the skills of Melina that led Bret Hart to declare her the best, and even the incredibly irritating antics of "laycool" almost as enjoyable.

I took it at face value first...we really can't expect WWE to produce eight new male stars every four months, and not run out. It's just not possible without falling into a formula or by elevating mediocrity. But given the current declining state of the divas division, it's not impossible to fathom that WWE would seek to rebuild it, but given the popular view of it, one has to wonder why WWE would choose to produce an all diva edition of NXT, especially considering an all divas episode of ECW was shot down after a huge backlash, and that was only a one time deal. Does WWE really feel a whole four months of diva matches will produce ratings?

There is no doubt in my mind that the WWE has paid attention to the internet more than ever, and it seems one of the most common topic choices is well, to be blunt, how their divas division blows and it's only the occasional fan that enjoys it.

That is what leads me to believe it's possible there is a hidden motive behind this choice for NXT season 3. There is the whole refreshing the diva's division idea. They want to create change, but it seems almost as if this is a test, not just for the divas but for the fans as well.

WWE is a wise corporate juggernaut. They are trying to see if the fans really do want to see the diva's division revamped, or if they are just whining for the sake of complaining and nit picking.

They may also be trying to see if the Diva's can produce ratings even close to that of the male superstars, or if their current idea of keeping the divas matches short and sweet and only using their divas as valets or company for guests, or dare I say it if there is even a point in hiring and keeping on divas as signed talent, or taking the TNA route and paying them via appearance would be more profitable? Is there a point in even having a championship, let alone two? (Which is already being turned into one)

To put it as straight forward as I can, the WWE is trying to see if the fans care enough about their divas division to watch the divas perform regularly.

Now maybe I'm being paranoid, but I'm still going to turn into NXT just as regularly as I always loyally have, this is why I ask of those of you who do care about the WWE's divas division and want to see change to tune in to NXT season 3 as well, give it a chance, and give the WWE divas an opportunity.

Although all teams carry this hope into the season, as the year progresses, teams fall out of contention and in the end, only four teams can be division champions.

Here are the four teams that will win their respective divisions in the NFC in 2010.

Begin Slideshow

Wake Forest vs Presbyterian. Final Score: Wake Forest 53, Presbyterian 13. This game was 35-7 at the half.  What did this prove? Nothing. At least you can see Wake's 2 point defensive conversion when Wake returned a block extra point for a touchdown, and a sweet bounce pass trick play to force Wake to eat a little crow.

Central Michigan vs Hampton. Final Score: Central Michigan 33, Hampton 0. Hampton won 3 games in the MEAC. Enough said.

Indiana vs Towson. Final Score: Indiana 51, Towson 17. This will be at least one of Indiana's three wins this year.

Rutgers vs Norfolk State. Final Score: Rutgers 31, Norfolk State 0. The fact that Rutgers could only score 6 by the half was scary. I'm sure little Norfolk had visions of App. State...

Honorable Mention: Idaho vs North Dakota State. Final Score: Idaho 45, North Dakota State 0. If Idaho can throw 45 points on you, and you can't score, you should rethink your football program.  

Look, I understand it's a business, but it's also a farce. I dare people to look at some of College Football's "Star" players statistics if you took out the games against the FCS opponents. Bet they wouldn't look so good. As we near the end of the season, I plan to do just that.  

One more note, get ready for more insulting games this weekend as the following "games" get ready to kick off:

Florida State vs Towson

Penn State vs Youngstown State

Boston College vs Weber State

Mississippi vs Jacksonville State

Iowa vs Easter Illinois

Georgia Tech vs South Carolina State

USF vs Stony Brook

Arkansas vs Tennessee Tech

Texas A&M vs Stephen F. Austin

Ohio vs Wofford

Kansas vs North Dakota State

It hurts...I can't type any more. Now I know, the small schools agree to these games, but what else can they do? The money is too good for a small school to turn down, and should they be competitive, or maybe even win - the prestige it brings to the school is invaluable. In addition, the NCAA governing body, by allowing these games to count in the final standings and rankings only made the situation worse.  Pretty soon, Alabama will be scheduling games against Wisconsin Whitewater, the division 3 champions from last year... Do what you can to avoid this disgrace...watch a movie instead.

The Marlins have become synonymous with having a very low attendance average. On television, there are not any fans in the seats and thus a ton of orange seats are left exposed to the cameras. Last night was no exception. 

When Nyjer Morgan charged the mound last night, both benches were cleared and just about everyone on both teams were involved in the brawl. But it seems like those were the only people around to see what happened. 

You may ask what about the television cameras and the live broadcast of the game? Well, according to Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, he says that what was seen on television was a staged commercial. It was all a fake advertisement during the inning. 

It doesn't seem to add up even in the Commissioner's office. Bud Selig has refused to comment on what "reportedly" went down in Miami.

The eight game suspension to Nyjer Morgan issued today was due to the inappropriate language used in the commercial. Baseball officials are still looking for the possible one fan in attendance at the Marlins vs. Nationals game. The fan holds the key testimony as to what really occurred on the Thursday night in Miami. 

Looks like this is where having fans of your team actually comes in handy! Sadly, it doesn't seem like there is such thing as a Florida Marlins fan. 

Will Power's pit crew had a slip-up during the final pit stop and did not get enough fuel into his car to finish the race under green.  Dario Franchitti used this and a risky gamble to use his old tires in order to win the race and narrow the points gap to just 23 points with three races remaining.

The 1.5 mile-oval trend continues, as the haulers pull into Sparta, Kentucky for the 200-lap race under the lights on Saturday night. 

While Kentucky and Chicago look very similar, and both produce fantastic side-by-side racing, the tracks are actually very different and present entirely different challenges for the drivers.  The biggest difference between the tracks this weekend will be that Kentucky features some very large bumps throughout the turns.  When this is mixed with the high winds, the cars can get very loose leading to high-speed danger.

The track is also less banked than Chicago, with 14 degrees of banking in all the turns in the Tri-Oval.  The back straightaway has just four degrees of banking while the front Tri-Oval stretch varies from eight to 10 degrees of banking.

Very similar to Chicago however, the cars will be able to run two- and three-wide throughout the entire track.  This was highlighted in dramatic fashion last year, as Ed Carpenter and Ryan Briscoe drove wheel to wheel for the last 20 laps before Briscoe edged the Indianapolis native by a few inches at the line.

Kentucky Speedway has been very good to the women of the IZOD IndyCar Series over the years.  Sarah Fisher became the first woman to win a pole position in 2002, as she set the current track speed record.  Danica Patrick has also managed a pole win at the track.

Current teams Panther, Penske, Ganassi, and Andretti have won at the track in the past.  In addition to Briscoe, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan have captured the Kentucky crown, while Hideki Mutoh won the Firestone Indy Lights race in 2007.

There will be just a little car switching this weekend to keep track of in the 27-car field.  Jay Howard, Ana Beatriz, and Davey Hamilton are the only two drivers from last weekend who will not be racing this weekend.  However, Beatriz will be replaced as the temporary driver for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing by IndyCar veteran Paul Tracy.  Despite all his experience, Tracy has never raced on a 1.5 mile-oval such as Kentucky.

In addition to Tracy, Tomas Scheckter will get another chance with Conquest Racing, after being involved in a very early incident with the team at Chicago.  Graham Rahal continues his journeyman season, as he will be driving the No. 66 car for Sarah Fisher Racing.  Rahal will complete the rest of the season with Newman Haas.  Ed Carpenter also returns in a joint Panther/Vision Racing entry.  He will sport his traditional No. 20 and is being sponsored by Fuzzy's Vodka.

All the action will get underway starting at 8pm ET on the Versus network on Saturday night.

And now we present our writer's picks for the week.

Chad Smith

First to crash: Tomas Scheckter.  It doesn’t matter if he causes it or not, he always seems to be in the middle of it.

Dark horse: Tony Kanaan.  As bad as I want to pick Paul Tracy here, I think TK is going to have a great run here.  Andretti Autosport has been showing up at the ovals, look for that to continue at Kentucky.

Third place: Dan Wheldon.  Wheldon is made for the ovals, and his performance last week proved it.  He knows he is driving for a full-time ride next year, so he needs to perform.

Second place: Ryan Briscoe.  If Ryan can stay up front, he is very good.  When he gets shuffled back in the pack, he seems to fade.  He has a good track record here, look for him to get the pole.

Race winner: Dario Franchitti.  Dario will break the points race wide open with another win.  I think Power can get a top five finish, but a win for Dario will shrink the lead even more, making the last two races of the season the biggest yet.

Ryan Worden

I am going out on a limb big time this week.  I think with the tight points race at the top, we will see them be cautious and other drivers giving it their all.

Win: Ed Carpenter.  Ed came oh so close last year, just missing out to Briscoe.  He is going to go all out during his brief stretch with Panther and will be looking to secure a ride for next year.  Also, I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Place: Dan Wheldon.  I really think Panther has it figured out this weekend.  Wheldon landed second in Chicago, challenging for the lead late.  If he and Carpenter can work together, they can show that other teams are catching Penske and Ganassi.

Show: Will Power.  A costly mistake last week took a shot at a win away from Power.  He really wants to prove he can race on ovals, but I don't think he's ready to win just yet.

Dark horse: Marco Andretti.  Andretti loves to run the high line on these ovals, and he does it with some speed.  I look for him to run well and maybe even challenge for a win.

First to crash: Takuma Sato.  I am starting to feel bad about picking him, but the only person who has more DNFs is Duno and she has been pulled off repeatedly.  So I gotta go with the former F1 driver here.

Control—Random Picks This Week

Win: Paul Tracy.

Second: Helio Castroneves.

Third: Tony Kanaan.

Dark horse: Bertrand Baguette.

First to crash: EJ Viso.

The question that has been posed is whether or not this is directly related to their desire in bringing in Vincent Jackson. This is a different coach group than that of the previous coach, Jim Mora Jr.. T.J. has been a Pro Bowl caliber receiver throughout his tenure within the league and one must wonder how strong of a feel Pete Carroll has in his ability to acquire Jackson.

I have enjoyed watching Mike Williams this preseason, and he has shown at times that his 6'6'' frame could be bothersome to opposing defenders. I don't however, believe that he is the answer to go off of when he has still not proved himself in the regular season. The idea that the underachieving Deion Branch can have a stay, but Housh will have to go is a bit perplexing.

I for one, feel that T.J. has been a constant throughout his career and that would be a luxury that Carroll would like to hold on to as he begins his tenure in Seattle.

Is there favoritism to Williams based on their USC connection? Who knows. It just seems that the Hawks are making a preemptive strike that does not need to be taken. Let the chips fall unless there's a certainty involved. With the uncertainty at the line, including the recent injury to the former Oklahoma State Cowboy Russell Okong, the state of the Seahawks line in still in limbo.

If the line is not at strength there will be no time for Matt Hasselbeck or Charlie Whitehurst to get the ball away. Then it really won't matter who the receiver happens to be. At this time it just seems eating the money to get rid of a guarantee is not as wise as the high risk involved in potentially acquiring Vincent Jackson. As well as the potential that might be in Mike Williams. Hopefully, things work out for Williams and the Hawks with Seattle making the right decisions.

Michigan obviously has a different kind of class of talent, which sacrifices sheer quality for quantity: there are about five or six worthwhile running backs on this team, in addition to the two main quarterbacks.

Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown, both of whom accounted for 44 percent of Michigan’s rush yards, are now gone. Sophomore Vincent Smith, the heir apparent to the starting job, only received 48 attempts during the entire 2009 season, which was fifth most on the team. He finished well behind both Robinson and Forcier. Despite this, the team will be even more dangerous in 2010.

As a gesture to his superior running ability and potential as a receiving threat, Vincent Smith will probably be the starter, but once the game gets underway, Michigan will employ a platoon to share the load, and each back is dynamic enough that their assent to the position will be situational. Michigan will need a triage just to sort out and demarcate responsibilities.

Vincent Smith may lack some of the top end athleticism of other backs, but his shiftiness and dynamic abilities in space should serve him well in the spread offense, provided that he is fully recovered from the ACL injury he suffered in the first half against Ohio State last year.

Elsewhere down the depth chart, junior Michael Shaw provides the speed and lateral quickness to the outside. Redshirt sophomore Michael Cox is also physically talented but makes poor decisions on the field. If he continues on this trajectory, then his role could be marginalized.

Freshman Stephen Hopkins is big enough to be brought in for short yardage plays so that he can break tackles and power through defenders. Redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint, whom ESPN called a possible national sleeper, is a speedy back who stretches the field. Currently he is out of the UConn game with an ankle injury.

The ascendance of the running game should have profound consequences for the rest of the team. If Michigan's running ability controls games and resists being stymied, two criteria that were absent for stretches of the previous season, then it should provide some leverage for the defense and sufficient cover for the receivers.

Despite West Virginia's low passing numbers—the team finished near the bottom of Division 1-A college football year after year—it is perhaps accurate to say that this pittance was one of choice. Pat White's passing numbers can at least attest to the potential he had, so West Virginia's reliance upon the the rushing attack was simply the desire to play to the team's strength. Football isn't exactly a zero sum game. There is no universal balance at work. West Virginia succeeded because of, and rarely in spite of, such a dramatic tilt toward the rush.

Michigan, at least, acquired half of its yard through the air last year. It will probably be another year of increments in which we fail to see the zone read offense in full, placing slightly more emphasis upon Michigan's stable of receivers, who are certainly not as great as the players in the Lloyd Carr days but have more talent than those on the West Virginia teams.

We are likely to witness more dynamic play-calling out of the zone read in 2010 than we witnessed for most of last year. Multiple running back sets should allow the team to mix and match the variable strengths of the rushers that Michigan has, and waiting in the wings is Devin Gardner, who is perhaps more of the Pat White archetype, the kind of athlete who can convert the apostates with a missionary-like zeal and impart upon the fans something a little more than a blind sense of panic and doom that has recently pervaded the program. But the future has yet to arrive, and this is hopefully just the third year in a transformation that will require many more to come.

As the Western Michigan Broncos are set to descend upon East Lansing, here's a look at five Spartans who many will have their eyes on come Saturday afternoon.

1. Kirk Cousins, Quarterback

The junior QB is back at the helm, but the difference between this season and last is that Michigan State is going into the season with a sure starter at the quarterback position. Last season was full of controversy as Cousins and Keith Nichol--now a wide receiver on the team--battled one another and split snaps throughout the year.

It's a new season now, and Cousins has all the tools to succeed. After passing for 2,680 yards and 19 touchdowns in a season when he wasn't even the sure starter, the weapons have been placed for Cousins to have an outstanding season--and we should see a big game tomorrow from No. 8.

2. Greg Jones, Linebacker

What can I say about Greg Jones that hasn't been said? He is a preseason All-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, preseason Butkus award winner, and will be chosen (probably pretty high) in next April's NFL Draft.

Jones came back for his senior season to get the sour taste out of his mouth from last year's long campaign. He is not only a leader of the defense, but he is a leader of the entire team. His play dictates what others do, and he may have his biggest collegiate season when it's all said and done.

3. William Gholston, Defensive End

The freshman linebacker-turned-defensive end was the Spartans' big recruit last year. Coaches, players, and fans are very excited about this beast of a kid (or man, I should say). He towers over the competition with his massive frame, but it may take some time for him to get acclimated to the college game.

Coach Mark Dantonio even said Gholston is not first on the depth chart at his position, but this doesn't mean he won't play on Saturday. If Michigan State has a comfortable lead, expect to see the big man on the defensive line and ready to prove his worth.

4. Keith Nichol, Wide Receiver

I mentioned Nichol's back-and-forth with Cousins earlier in the article, but now he has a fresh start at an entirely new position: wide receiver. Nichol will still be involved in the offense, but this time around he will be catching passes and not throwing them.

Nichol gives the Spartans another weapon at the skill positions, an area of the team which I recently said was the best in the Big Ten. It's rumored that Nichol will split time with fellow wideout Mark Dell, but both players should see plenty of time against a less talented Western Michigan team.

5. Larry Caper/Edwin Baker, Running Backs

I included both Larry Caper and Edwin Baker in the list because both are equally as important at the running back position, although the depth chart is quite transparent when alluding to both players. In other words, both should see plenty of playing time this season as their position is one of seven on the team which has no "clear-cut" starter.

Caper is most notorious for his overtime scamper against rival Michigan last October--a run which cemented his place in Spartans lore almost before it even began; Baker is recognized for his great game in the Alamo Bowl. Both players are a year older and have been able to learn together. It will be interesting who the "go-to" back will be come mid-season, or whether there will be a No. 1 tailback altogether.

Prediction: Spartans 38, Broncos 14

TNA Knockout's Grudge Match: Madison Rayne vs Velvet Sky

I know what you're thinking and I agree...Why the HECK is this match on the card? If you're going to have a female match on the card, why make it between the secondary women on either team. Tara was revealed to be the mystery biker woman on last night's Impact (Act surprised.) and Angelina Love, their Knockout's Champion, ISN'T on the card and the focus is on them. So to have Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky on the card means two things:

1) No-one's really going to give a damn.

2) This match has outside interference written ALL over it.

I think Madison Rayne will get the win, with help from Tara, leading to a big (sort of) blow-off for Bound for Glory. Again, annoyed that it's Sky/Rayne because Tara and Angelina are far better workers. (Mind you, that's not saying much). Also, minus EV2.0 and Fortune, this is the most consistent storyline in TNA right now. Scary.

Harrison's Analysis: Madison Rayne to win, with outside interference from Tara. Expect a train-wreck.

Abyss vs Rhyno (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

How many times have we seen these two face each other in hardcore style matches? I've lost count. Mind you, considering it's Abyss and Rhyno, were you really expecting anything else?

The thing is though, I'm not sure who to say on this one. It's bound to be a hardcore style match, which will be a fun brawl all over the Impact Zone, so that normally points to Abyss winning, but with EV2.0 around, I can never be too sure in-case they all go over, ala Main Event Mafia. I'll say Rhyno on this one. Expect 10-15 minutes of TV-14 Brutality. 

Harrison's Analysis: Rhyno to win...probably in a pool of his own blood.

Douglas Williams vs Sabu (X-Division Championship Match)

If you told me a year ago that Sabu would be in a TNA X- Division Championship, I'd be telling your doctor to up your medication. But alas, we have Douglas Williams in an X-Division title match against Sabu. Now, given that Sabu actually did a solid job against Rob Van Dam at Hardcore Justice, this match could be good, providing that Sabu doesn't mess anything up...

There is a reason there's a series of Botchamania episodes dedicated to him after all. Also, Doug is one of TNA's best workers and one of their most consistent right now, so besides Kurt Angle, he's the one man I have faith in that I know will constantly deliver. (Unless there's an X hanging over his head) This match, again, will probably get about 10-15 minutes, and I think Doug will retain again, as I can't see what good putting the title on Sabu will do.

Harrison's Analysis: Douglas Williams retains. Fingers crossed, it'll be good.

Jeff Jarrett and Samoa Joe vs Kevin Nash and Sting

My good lord, Samoa Joe must have REALLY peed off the management to be feuding with Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash and Sting, who I'm pretty sure have an average age of near 50. I think all Samoa Joe fans, as am I, are annoyed to see how far he's fallen from main eventing Against All Odds 6 months ago. Jarrett can still work, but he thinks it's 1990 still, so it's not all that entertaining, Kevin Nash knows his limitations and works around them...And is Sting still injured or does a physical relationship with that baseball bat of his?

I'm not even sure who's going to win this one, as I really couldn't care less. I think Hogan could get involved, which'll boost the average age a bit too. Again, I think the heel team of Wolfpac Lite will get the win leading to BFG 10', so I'm going to go for them. Expect Joe and Jarrett to do the work here, and not much else.

Harrison's Analysis: Nash and Sting to win...*tumbleweed rolls past*

AJ Styles vs Tommy Dreamer (I Quit Match for the TNA Television Championship)

Show of Hands: Does anyone want to see Tommy Dreamer wrestle in 2010? Raven, put your hand down! I'm sure you guys see my reasoning. I have little desire to see Tommy in a ring anymore. His best days are behind him and AJ Styles should be doing more than holding a toy belt that isn't utilized properly.

Can AJ carry a guy? I don't really think so. Since it's an I Quit match, it favours Tommy as he can break out the weapons, but the fact it's for the Television title doesn't help the odds. I mean, as with the Sabu match, what would putting the TV on Tommy do for him, or the belt? Exactly. Hopefully another 10-15 minute match. If both guys are at their best, it could be passable to good, but knowing TNA, I'm not holding out much hope.

Harrison's Analysis: AJ Styles retains, but expect Tommy to still look strong.

The Motorcity Machine Guns vs Desmond Wolfe and Magnus (Tag Team Championship Match)

I'm sorry, did I miss something? When did Wolfe and Magnus form a team? And how the heck are they Number 1 Contenders?! Xplosion? Who watches that? And that is my issue with this match. There's been hardly any build for it, whatsoever.

The Guns are the Guns...They could wrestle a pillow and a tree and it would entertaining, but how can I care about a match that's build is 3 days before the actual PPV? It's a shame, because this could be a Match of the Night contender. Desmond Wolfe is one of the world's best when used correctly (Ask Kurt Angle), Magnus is always improving, and I dig his new gimmick, and as I said, the Guns, are the Guns. 

I don't expect Magnus/Wolfe to win, I think the Guns will retain, for a big match at Bound for Glory...Hopefully a rematch against Generation Me. I'd pay the PPV prive for a 20 minute Guns v Me match. Guns to retain.

Harrison's Analysis: The Guns to retain, could be Match of the Night.

Mr Anderson vs The Pope (World Championship Tournament Semi-Final Match)

Ah, now here's where things get interesting, as this is a rematch from the Eight-Card Stud Tournament Final from Against All Odds earlier in the year. I suspect that they've put these two together because they're the only two guys in the company that can talk their way into getting their momentum back. Let's face it, these two are the best mic guys in TNA, so it's a smart call.

Now, at AAO back in February, Pope was selling the injury from NWO2, so we all knew he was going to play the face-in-peril card to win. Now, they're on an equal playing field and they could put on a good to great 15-20 minute match. Who wins? I'm thinking Pope, as they're teasing a heel turn with all the pin-stealing he's been doing in recent weeks. Anderson can take a loss no problem, so it makes the most sense.

Harrison's Analysis: The Pope to advance, with a possible heel turn on top.

Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy (World Championship Tournament Semi-Final Match)

With the quality of names here, expect this to be the Main Event. Now, the quality of this match all depends on one person. Jeff Hardy. If this was Jeff hardy at his WWE Prime last year, this would be a 4+ star match if given, say, 20 minutes. But a sloppy Jeff Hardy is what I'm seeing right now, and I'm not fond of him right now. I have a serious lack of faith in him, and if he's as sloppy as I think he is, it WILL hurt the quality of the match...

...Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, I agree. Kurt is the best carrier in the business today, but I shouldn't be EXPECTING that going into a match. I just hope I'm wrong. Who wins? Who has the retirement stipulation? It sure as heck isn't the guy wearing face paint and gaining weight, that's for sure!

Harrison's Analysis: Kurt Angle (Obviously) Advances, Match of the Night if Jeff steps up.

Overall Thoughts on the Pay-Per-View

Having a Pay-Per-View on Labor Day Weekend (I'm British, I did my homework), is NEVER going to be good for business. So don't expect five figure buy-rates here. The matches themselves for the most part are mainly uninteresting, or booked so late with so little build that I can't really have a reason to care about them. Which is a shame, because as with most TNA PPV's, if booked right, it can be a solid show...But when was the last time that happened? *sadface* Let's hope I'm proved wrong.

I've been Andre Harrison, and that was your Analysis, let me know what you think heading into No Surrender. Thanks for reading and Sayonara!

They destroyed Latvia with a great result, 3-0.

After a big disappointment in qualifying for World Cup 2010 in South Africa. In Croatian group, England got their revenge in both matches and two tied matches against Ukraine saw Croatia finishing on a poor 3rd place and they were doomed to watch World Cup in South Africa on TV.

EURO 2012 qualifying group F: Croatia,Greece,Israel,Georgia,Latvia,Malta

Mladen Petrić, Ivica Olić and Darijo Srna were on target in a straightforward victory for Slaven Bilić's team in Riga. 

Croatian lineup:

Runje, Strinić, Šimunić, Ćorluka, Srna - Rakitić, Vukojević, Kranjčar, Eduardo, Petrić - Olić

Pranjic, Jelavic and Mandzukic came from the bench.

Croatian footballers went into the mach very seriously, and they didn't want to repeat same mistakes from last qualifying.

All 90 minutes, Croatia was dominating on the field, but it wasn't that easy. Latvia can be very uncomfortable for many big teams like Croatia.

Mladen Petrić scored nice header after big crowd near Latvia goal.

Second goal, Petrić passes nice long ball for Ivica Olić, who scores amazing header.

From 16 meters Croatian captain, Dario Srna scores amazing volley and finishes poor Latvians.

Croatians went into this match without their best player, Luka Modrić who still suffers from small injury. Croatia coach, Slaven Bilic said to media that he counts on Modric in next qualifying game.

Next match for Croatia will played on September 7th on their field against Greece who surprisingly draw against Georgia.

OTHER MATCHES IN GROUP F:

Israel vs Malta  3-1

- Israel deserved to win. Malta doesn't seem to be any threat to anybody in this group. Benayoung scored nice hat-trick to win first 3 points for Israel.

Greece vs Georgia 1-1

- One of the biggest surprises today. Definitively not big like Belarus winning in the middle of Pariz against France 0-1. Greece started very bad in this qualifying phase and if they loose against Croatia on tuesday they can say goodbye to European Championship 2012.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/424901-croatian-national-football-team-is-ready-for-comebac

Check it out!