Front Row.com Blog

 Man. I go away for a few days and the whole NFL is in turmoil. I’m surprised nobody told me. Here’s the rundown so far:

It looks like the Washington Redskins have locked down DeAngelo Hall in a kinds sorta mega deal. Kinda sorta for the Redskins anyway. A mere $50 million brings Hall into the fold. Meanwhile, on the whine circuit, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have tabbed tight end Kellen Winslow in the free agent market, signing the perpetually disgruntled former #1 pick for undisclosed draft picks. Either somebody got too little or somebody paid too much. Personally, I think Winslow is trouble.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota Vikings land, the purple maching took steps to fill their quarterback needs by trading for Sage Rosenfels from the Houston Texans. Another QB project is in the works. Speaking of QB’s, Michael Vick may soon be available. Any takers? 

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Once again our NASCAR tickets are burning up the boards. Once again the smell of rubber fills the air. And once again Dale Earnhardt is in trouble. One of the biggest, or maybe THE biggest, legacies in NASCAR just can’t seem to get a handle on things. Young Dale is not doing so well. It’s a familiar refrain. Except for a small spurt last season NASCAR glory has eluded Earnhardt in the most maddening fashion. As popular as he is he just can’t seem to get things together and win. Ah well, the season is young. Earnhardt will have a chance to make up some ground in the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500, or the Food City 500, or maybe the Samsung 500. But let’s face it: If Dale Earnhardt wants to fill those Daddy shoes he better get steppin or another NASCAR season is down the drain.  

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 In one of the more startling bits of news this week comes the word that the Indianapolis Colts have releases Marvin Harrison. Even more alarming is the news that the release comes at Harrison’s request. Maybe I’m too far removed from the area but I kind of had Harrison pegged as one of those franchise epitome players. The kind of guy you always associate with one team because he never leaves.

 Looking more closely at the situation you’ll see that it all boils down to money. It always does. Harrison would have hit the Colts for $13 million cap dollars in the next NFL season. Apparently a cost that neither the Colts wanted to bear or Harrison wanted to burden them with. So a Pro Bowl caliber player bids his home farewell. He’ll end up somewhere else and he’ll be great. Bank on it.

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 Anyone who follows college basketball should know this but I”ll say it again. #1 is not where you want to be. For what I count as the fourth time this season, the #1 ranked team in college basketball has fallen. Last night it was Pittsburgh. It’s also happened to Duke and a few others. With the Final Four and March Madness fast approaching, it’s time to position yourself as a solid #2 or even #3 team. But #1? Forget it. It’s the kiss of death.

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 I’ll soon be winging my way home from Afghanistan. My trip back to my home town and the time I spend there will include the following:

Tickets to Disneyworld for my youngest daughter and grandson.

Britney Spears tickets for my daughter. Babysitting by me goes along with the tickets.

Fall Out Boy tickets for my other daughter. and Mom. and son probably.

Rest assured, there will be other tickets along the way. These are just the ones I’ve been told about. I was hoping for a ticket to rest and relaxation with nothing to do. there’s no rest for the weary.

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 This just in: My wife has excitedly informed me that Bon Jovi will be playing at the Jazzfest in New Orleans in May. I can’t confirm this, I’m 8,000 miles away. But from the schoolgirl crush excitement in her voice I’m thinking I’ll soon see Bon Jovi tickets on my monthly statement. Well, bless her heart. The Jazzfest is back in full swing after the devestation of Hurricane Katrina, bringing some of the best values in concert tickets you’ll ever find. Don’t think your favorire band has to be officially on tour. Check out New Orleans events and you’ll see what I mean.

Tags: concerts by edrouant
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 A-Rod is only the most prominent name to be released from the MLB’s steroid list. Here’s the bottom line: Major League Baseball did a cover up job and now they’re paying the price. When the first whispers of steroid use began the league should have pulled out all the stops, clamped down like a demon, and ended everyone’s suspicions. If they had, the game would have moved on by now. Instead, they’ve got a lingering disease that is sapping the faith of fans. Take your medicine biys and they’ll come back. Keep shoveling maunre and you’ll lose us all.

 It won’t matter if the LA Dodgers win the World Series, or the Red Sox, or even the Milwaukee Brewers (well that might matter). Fans are now left wondering what they’re seeing. Is any performance to be believed? Is there any player we can let our children emulate? Come on guys, you can do better. 104 players in the MLB list? Or is that just List A?

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 It started in Bagram. There on the corner is the guy with the New York Yankees cap. On the Qatar, where the Major sitting behind me is wearily explaining to his specialist, a Boston Red Sox fan, why the Yankees will win the World Series this year. They have to, Sabathia, A.P., A-Rod, etc. His specialist gleefully points out that the whole A-Rod steroids thing will bring New York crashing down. My gut feeling is that the controversy is only the straw that breaks the camels back. Joe Torre has exposed the seamy underside of the Yankees locker room. No matter how much talent you accumulate, chemistry is what makes teams great. You can’t have chemistry with dissension. And the specialist sings, “Tessie, you’re the only, only, only.” as we board the plane for Kuwait.

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 man, how time does fly. here I am just recuperating from the Super Bowl, waiting on the Pro Bowl, and I turn around and realize that NASCAR is just around the corner and auto racing is in full swing. I’m doing R & R in Feb. here’s my wish list.

Daytona 500 Tickets – Coming Feb 15th, the Daytona 500 means things are about to go full blast. The biggest kickoff of the auto racing years just wets your thirst.

Auto Club 500 Tickets – Fontana Speedway, California Sun, california girls, the smell of burning rubber, California girls, the roar of engines, California girls, and more.

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 I’m so tired of writing about the MLB and the steroid problem. This Barry Bonds thing keeps dragging on and on and on. My grandchildren will be watching dottering old San Francisco Giants players wheel their way up to the witness stand. let me put it this way. It’s over and done with. Let’s just erase these older players from our minds, ban them to obscurity, and firmly commit to keeping the game of baseball drug free from this point on. What’s to be gained from knowing years after the fact that somebody used steroids. Nothing’s going to be done about it.

My Picks for the World Series – In the American League I like the Boston Red Sox. The New York Yankees will once agin prove that money can’t buy happiness (or chemistry)

 On the NL side I like the Los Angeles Dodgers. I don’t know why.

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