Watching last night’s Falcons/Bengals preseason game, something very profound occured to me: I really like Joey Harrington.

Watching the former Lions/Dolphins quarterback run down the field after throwing a touchdown pass in a PRESEASON game, you begin to understand what Harrington has been through. In Detroit, he had absolutely terrible teams around him.  George Blanda, Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning couldn’t have won with those Detroit teams. Frankly, Lions GM Matt Millen is a clown and that he still has that job today is mystifying.

Now that Harrington is going to be the Falcons starter, you really want the guy to succeed and do well. He badly wants to be embraced by his teammates, by the fans and by the city and I hope all of that happens for him this season. He wasn’t embraced by any of the above in Detroit, which many sportswriters claim in the worst sports city in the America. I figure there must be some truth to it because everytime someone says something negative about Detroit, people from Detroit get all tight. My guess is that they know their town’s a hellhole and the way they treated Harrington is disgraceful. Good luck, Joey.

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No, seriously… 

Man, roller skating must be getting really competitive.

Vodka, a hot headed wife and a naked husband make a really bad (and painful) combination.

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SI’s Stewart Mandel with five players that redefine their positions.

The demise of Sam Keller at Arizona State.

The AJC’s Mark Bradley sums up yesterday’s Michael Vick plea as nicely as anyone.

Kirk Herbstreit’s “Herbies.”

The Vikings feel really good about Tarvaris Jackson.  I’m not impressed. Yet. 

Lovie Smith doesn’t believe Lance Briggs abandoning his $300k car on the highway at 3 in the morning had anything to do with booze.  Come on, coach.

Vick an afterthought on Virginia Tech campus.

DeAngelo Hall should think twice before using his hair to trash talk.

Jeremy Bloom is a better skier than a football player. Who knew?

Can the ACC show its a power conference again?

Which Brady Quinn haircut do you prefer?

The Bills will start rookie linebacker Paul Posluszny.

Vick should be an example to young stars, says Milwaukee columnist.

Nike is done with Mike Vick.

Big 12 will be ruled by parity, Omaha paper says.

No starting spot for Cards corner Antrel Rolle.

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Well-rounded news… 

Tom Welling as Superman in Justice League flick.

New ‘Lost’ cast members.

More Scott Baio on VH1.

Fall movies to look forward to.

The 10 best foods you’re not eating.

Traveled to Orlando this weekend to visit the girlfriend and made some interesting observations. First of all, central and northern Florida is hot. But it’s a different kind of heat. In Destin, I walk out the door of my apartment and you can breathe the heat, it’s thick like steam in a sauna. In Central Florida, you feel the heat on your skin. There was a moment Saturday afternoon, where the sun was directly overhead and I don’t know if, in my life, I’ve been hotter than I was at that very moment.

A very exciting week in my life as college football season starts officially on Thursday night and the first season of ‘Heroes’ releases on DVD tomorrow. Also on my mental calendar is the start of the NFL season, and the release of the third season of “The Office” next week and Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” on DVD.

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A Tennessee man was arrested for producing counterfeit “rain”.

Americans love shrimp.

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Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel thinks little league baseball players playing in Williamsport deserve to be paid.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach on Nebraska starting quarterback Sam Keller.

Giants not interested in free agent linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

Chad Johnson on Michael Vick.  

USC transfer Emmanuel Moody is transferring to Florida, paper says.

The $350,000 car owned by Bears linebacker Lance Briggs was found abandoned on the highway. Now, what would make someone abandon a $350,000 car after being involved in an accident? Did I mention the car was found at about 3:15 a.m. 

Rutgers RB Ray Rice eyes Heisman in ‘07.

Was the performance of punter Sav Rocca really the highlight of last night’s Eagles preseason game? Sigh. Game notes from Les Bowen. Bowen’s game story.

Sabres/Penguins to play outdoors on Jan. 1.

Hoosier guard A.J. Ratliff declared academically ineligible for first semester.

Five burning questions for Tennessee in ‘07.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart with some interesting posts this weekend.

• Some final questions.
• Impact freshmen.
• Five best places to tailgate.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz thinks Georgia is BCS Bowl-bound.

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter talks about the Sun Devils in ‘07.

Astros to retire Jeff Bagwell’s number.

A huge game for Oklahoma State this weekend at Georgia.

The San Fransisco Chronicle profiles Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.

ESPN’s Ivan Maisel’s five Big 12 predictions.

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Well-rounded news… 

The St. Pete Times has a fantastic political fact-checking website.

My thoughts are with Owen Wilson.

With all of the Michael Vick news, you could ever want below, Today’s Line will be (thankfully) free of any Vick-related stories.

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No, seriously…

Dressing monkeys in diapers with the beautification of a city in mind.

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The phenomenon of 7-0n-7.

The wife of troubled Devil Ray Elijah Dukes makes some very strong accusations in the couple’s divorce proceedings.

Duke football turns to the university’s business school for help with program.

The Baltimore Sun’s Rick Maese thinks Beckham’s arrival will have little effect on the perception of the MLS stateside.

A Virginia Tech golfer uses tragedy as motivation to win British Amateur.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association has no plans to test the state’s high school athletes for steroids. I think this is a huge mistake. As someone who played high school football in the state of Indiana I can tell you that some kids are looking for anyway to get a competitive advantage and get noticed by college scouts. What you don’t want is kids taking these easy-to-get OTC supplements and playing drugstore cowboy and taking whatever they want, however they want. It’s a shame that the state has opted not to join Florida, New Jersey and Texas on the forefront of this issue.

The State (Columbia, S.C.) looks at the effect the Confederate flag has on the state’s athletes.

Former Houston Oilers remember their first training camp in Nashville.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tony Barnhart says Arkansas has the SEC’s easiest schedule.

LeBron James will host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live in the fall.

ESPN’s Steve Davis says the competition in the MLS is tougher than most people think.

USAToday’s takes a pre-season look at the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Boston Globe’s Peter May is not too impressed with the Magic signing forward Rashard Lewis.

The Worldwide Leader’s Gene Wojciechowski talks about the Beckham press conference last Friday.

Former Worldwide Leader talking head, and one of the Bottom Line’s most self-important people in sports, Dan Patrick to be brought to you in every way, shape and form.

The NFL has officially lost it.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster has dismissed four Golden Gophers from the team in connection to an ongoing sexual assault case. Hmm, no one’s been convicted but the coach still had the integrity to kick them off the team. Getting any ideas, Arthur Blank?

Gary Player says there is steroid use in golf.

Cell phones have been banned from this year’s British Open.

CBS Sportsline’s Mike Freeman ranks the top 10 dirtiest college football programs.

Minnesota Wild goon Derek Boogaard teaches little kids how to properly throw down on the ice. What a complete moron this guy is. Any parent of a young hockey player with a functioning brain wouldn’t think of taking their kids to this stupid thing.

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Well-rounded news…

The last installment of the Harry Potter series hits eyeballs a week early.

You might want to re-think taking that homemade iPod charger through airport security.

Wired’s Epicenter blog wonders if Digg will shut down posts and comments with the address to the pirated copy of the last Harry Potter book.

iPhones shut down Duke University wi-fi.

The New York Daily News’ Jack Mathews lists his favorite flicks of ‘07 so far.

A nice look at VH1’s weekly skankfest “Rock of Love.”

Tim Russert would love to have Bruce Springteen on “Meet the Press”.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is saying there are no Facebook IPO plans — yet.

Zach Braff and creator Bill Lawrence has confirmed that this will be the last season of Bottom Line fave ‘Scrubs’.

Fox’s ‘House’ is getting some new blood for season four.

In the absence of football or any other sport that I care about, my weekday television viewing has been.. let’s just say subpar. Last night for example, the girlfriend and I watched the Rock of Love premiere (which is kind of like a really skanky, drunken trainwreck you can’t help but watch), the finale of America’s Next Top Model (not sure which circuit, not sure it’s a good sign that I know that the seasons on ANTM are actually called “circuits”) and then watched Making the (not to be be mistaken with Da) Band 4, where Diddy’s theatrics are starting to wear me out. I like how every time he pulls up to the band’s apartment in his Phantom, they play some really awesome hip-hop song to announce him. I think I’d like that same service for myself. I’m going to hire a band to follow me around and play AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” for me every time I walk into a room or maybe Bloc Party’s “Helicopter.”

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More than 500 people are reporting symptoms of food poisoning after Taste of Chicago.

A Florida man called 911 because he was surrounded by police and needed help.

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The Titans are finding that replacing a felonious defensive back is harder than it might seem.

The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Fry examines the idiocy of the NFL’s new 45-second rule.

Is there beef between Matt Leinart and Ben Roethlisberger?

With the Bobcats trading for Jason Richardson and re-signing Gerald Wallace, the Fanhouse wonders if there’s room for Adam Morrison in Charlotte?

After signing defensive tackle Cory Redding to a contract that doesn’t make sense, the Lions will likely be facing a holdout from its top pick Calvin Johnson.

Edgerrin James is ditching his gold teeth.

In 14 months, at least six Baltimore-area high school athletes were KIA in Iraq.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Kathleen Nelson looks at some possible NFL reality shows to hold you over until Week 1.

Has Barry Bonds caused a riff on Fox’s baseball telecasts?

Great story in the Kansas City Star about how fans punctuate milestone moments in their lives in stadiums.

The Oklahoman’s John Rohde on what he thinks will keep him entertained until the start of football season.

Fun story in the Denver Post today about celebrity golf tournaments.

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Well-rounded news…

Apple has filed a patent for a backlit trackpad.

Broadband speed in the U.S. stinks.

The first four episodes of fourth season of The Office will be an hour long.

Is NBC revamping American Gladiators?

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke has a unique way of dealing with the paparazzi.

I feel the need to sort of blow one perception completely out of the water. As you may have been aware, ESPN aired its psuedo-award show, the ESPYs, last night (I was aware but was watched Rock of Love with Bret Michaels anyway). I just heard one of its talking heads on the radio, patting the network on the back and suggesting that the ESPYs had finally arrived and was “The Oscars or the Emmys of Sports.”

No notion could possibly be more preposterous. To suggest that the ESPYs mean serve any other function than to further exalt ESPN to its rightful place as the Worldwide Leaders in Sports is completely ridiculous. Say some punt returner wins an ESPY for Play of the Year. If that same player were to go to his respective team when his contracted expired and say, “Hey, I think I deserve to make this much as an ESPY winner.” Chances are he’d get laughed out of the room. Now if an actor won an Oscar or an Emmy, their value to studios or networks increases exponentially and it can be used as a bargaining chip. The ESPYs are nothing more than a completely contrived product of ESPN and should not be taken seriously in any way, shape or form.

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No, seriously…

You should really get rid of any drugs on your person before asking the cops for a ride home.

A Florida woman complained to a cop that a man had sold her bad crack.

A man crashed into a South Carolina police officer with 43 pounds of marijuana in his car.

Telemarketing isn’t for everyone.

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Newsweek’s Devin Gordon questions the role ESPN plays in today’s sports landscape.

Carson Palmer points out some of Ed Reed’s weaknesses as a safety.

NFL commish Roger Goodell reduced the 4-game suspension of Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen to just two games to match his two drunk driving arrests.

New Orleans is trying to convince the NFL to move the NFL Draft to the Big Easy.

South Carolina freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia is real close to getting himself kicked off the team. This kid can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble and as far as character issues are concerned, he has to raise about every red flag there is. I guess if you can throw a football 60 yards on the fly, it doesn’t matter if you key a professor’s car.

The finale of the Fanhouse’s best quarterbacks of the SEC.. guess who’s number 1?

On the night of the NBA draft, the New Jersey Nets reportedly passed on a deal that would have sent Jermaine O’Neal to the Nets for Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins.

Madden champions might be awarded championship rings.

The Baton Rouge Advocate’s Scott Rabalais warns not to expect any changes to the BCS anytime soon.

A nice story about Deion Sanders in today’s Dallas Morning News.

The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee is expecting 800 to 1,000 corporate jets to descend on area airports when the Super Bowl is played in February.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who hates ESPN’s stupid ‘Who’s Now?’ tournament.

Sports blog Awful Announcing explains why so many people hate ESPN.

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Well-rounded news…

Slate questions Toyota’s “Little Deviants” ad campaign. I felt the same way the author of this piece does when I first saw this spot. It was before a movie and I was sitting there thinking, “Wow, this is really violent and inappropriate.” I think whoever greenlighted this campaign could end up paying for it with their job.

Robert De Niro’s next foray into directing will be a depiction of the 1949 Chinese Revolution.

Fox is keeping a very tight lid on the new Simpsons Movie and most critics won’t see the film until three days before it hits movie theatres everywhere. I’ll be very interested to see how this film does. I don’t think that anyone I know watches the Simpsons with any regularity but I still think the popularity of the series is undeniable and I think the movie will do very well… not Harry Potter well.. but it will rake in some box office bucks..

Johanna Bennett, ex-girlfriend of Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, talks about how the pair co-wrote the band’s infectious “Fluorescent Adolescent.”

The fourth season of Bottom Line fav Top Chef will be shot in Chicago.

Bravo will premiere eight, one-hour episodes of “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style,” starting in September. They’ve ordered another season of Project Runway but last I’d heard it was not certain that Gunn would return for a fourth season. Just a memo to Bravo, no more Shear Genius or Top Design, no one’s watching and those shows are garbage.

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