I’m thinking this is going to be the format of the blog for a little while. I’ll include a mini-take and then the daily line of links and stories on my news reader that I find of interest — at least until it becomes logical to talk about college or pro football.

This is just a note to the Worldwide Leader, competitive eating is not a sport in any way, shape or form. I find it anatomically impressive that Joey Chestnut can shove 66 hot dogs in his face but I do not and will never consider that to be an athletic feat. Oh and another thing, this “bracket” of who’s the most popular athlete is a ridiculous and pointless exercise. Does anyone really care if LT is more popular than David Beckham? Or if Dwyane Wade is more “now” than Shaun White?

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No, seriously…

Al Gore’s son was jailed on drug possession charges yesterday in California. What’s notable about this story isn’t that it involves Al Gore or drugs but that police clocked Albert Gore III going 100 MPH in his Toyota Prius. I didn’t even know you could get a Prius up to 100. I wonder if the cops pulled him over just to ask him how he did it.

Someone caught a piranha last week in North Carolina.

‘08 presidential hopeful John Edwards paid $1,250 in Atlanta for a haircut before the 2004 election.

Chinese villagers have been eating and sell prehistoric dinosaur bones.

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The Worldwide Leader’s Gene Wojciechowski tries to understand why David Beckham’s U.S. debut on the July 13 is such a big deal.

LSU coach Les Miles slurps the greatness of the SEC and rips the Pac-10, specifically USC. I would looooove to see a USC/LSU bowl game this year.

The NFL has officially lost it. The Associated Press is reporting that the league is only going to let news organizations post 45 seconds of game footage online per day.

The Maryland State Youth Soccer Association is taking a stand against out of control coaches.

The Buffalo News’ Allen Wilson believes Sabres fans will get over their frustration over the recent departure of co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury.

The Detroit Free-Press examines what you can do with your $600 besides spending it on an iPhone.

Chauncey Billups’ agent calls a report that his client signed a five-year deal with the Pistons, “a vicious rumor.” The language used seems a bit dramatic but then again the Chick Fil-A chicken nuggets I had at lunch today were a culinary masterpiece the likes of which have never been achieved in the history of food.

Thanks for the memories. Grant Hill has bolted Orlando for the Phoenix Suns.

Father of Tulsa quarterback calls Mahlzan’s offense, “recess.” But in a good way?

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Well-rounded news…

A fight is brewing between college presidents and U.S. News and World Report.

• An editoral in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Newsweek’s Robert Samuelson says the presidents are trying to censor U.S. News and World Report.

Techblog Valleywag on how to be a better “friend” on social networking sites.

Entertainment Weekly gives mid-term grades to the PS3, Wii and XBOX 360.

Time’s Richard Schickel takes a look at Werner Herzog’s Vietnam flick “Rescue Dawn.” 

J.J. Abrams “mystery” project.

Newsweek takes a look at the implications of Universal Music Group’s public spat with Apple’s iTunes Music Store.

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Inside Baseball..

Will staff cuts at major newspapers around the country mean a return to the kind of journalism of the 70s?