After successfully making it back from my car without suffering heat stroke, I’m ready to post today’s line. But first this thought on Facebook. Today I added several applications to my page including the virtual book shelf, CD rack and magazine rack. I think this is a cool idea but I can’t help but wonder if, as Facebook users, we are not better off if the old facebook. You know the one where you couldn’t have an application on your profile that allowed you to poop on your friends or throw food or engage in vampire/werewolf/zombie secretarian warfare. The site might be less effective at curbing your office boredom but would be a whole heck of a lot faster.

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No, seriously…

Is that a monkey under your hat or are you just happy to see me?

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ESPN’s Pat Forde says quarterbacks have a lot to prove in ‘07.

Washington Post piece on Indiana football as they begin practice after the death of Coach Hep.

Brady Quinn finally signs with the Browns.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach looks at what’s hot and what’s not in 2007.

Fanhouse sizes up the Big 12

• Impact freshmen
• Key position battles
• Five best players
• Most underrated players
• Most overrated players

Fanhouse lists SEC’s five best players not named McFadden.
Marshawn Lynch has been impressive so far at Bills camp.

Larry Bird and Jermaine O’Neal claim they’re on the same page.

Michigan State’s starting quarterback thinks the Spartans will be way better than .500 this year.

Tennessee’s leading rusher has been suspended indefinitely.

Braves legend Dale Murphy says Barry Bonds is a terrible example for kids.

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer might be a little crazy.

Danica Patrick snipes at Dan Wheldon… again. Danica, just win a race. Just one and then maybe the rest of the sports world will take you seriously. Until then, Wheldon’s assessment of your ridiculous temper tantrums seem pretty spot on.  

Some in Niners camp are worried second-year tight end (and draft day weeper) Vernon Davis is becoming the second-coming of T.O.

Reggie Miller is considering a comeback… with the Boston Celtics. As a Pacer fan, I was happy to see Reggie go when he did. He couldn’t play defefnse, was inconsistent from beyond the arc and was a shell of the player he was in his prime when he finally called it quits. But if I were in the building when Reg makes his return to Indy, I’d boo him out of the building. What about a little loyalty for a fanbase that stood by you and worshipped you when you stank on ice? And now you’re going to comeback for one last grab at a ring and you think the Celts have the best chance of taking you there with Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce? Shameless.

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Well-rounded news…

Rosario Dawson has opted out of a role written for her by Kevin Smith.

Coming soon to a theatre near you.. a Meerkat Manor movie?

Could Kristen Bell be joining the cast of Lost?

VH1 is streaming the new Matt Nathanson record, ‘Some Mad Hope‘

Slate Magazine reviews the new Scott Baio reality show, which I enjoy without shame.

The editor of the page one editor Orange County Register is awesome.

Forbes looks at the top ten cities for foodies.

An update on the Newseum in Washington, DC.

Kevin Smith to direct a Super Max movie.

Another J.J. Abrams mystery project? How much more J.J. Abrams-related mystery is one person expected to handle? 

Project Runway season 1 winner fires back at New York Magazine article, particularly the part about him being homeless.

Entertainment Weekly catalogs the best movie endings of all-time.

EW’s Lost expert Doc Jensen dismisses some Lost rumors and myths in the show’s post-season 3 hiatus.

Ohio State University wants its students to rat on each other.

Slow weekend filled with episodes of Degrassi and watching The Number 23, which was pretty unspectacular. I believe in Jim Carrey’s ability as an effective dramatic actor but this movie just missed the mark. The twist at the end is pretty decent but for a 98 minute movie, the flick does drag on a little. Still a decent watch if you’re bored enough.

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No, seriously…

Cops in Bangkok love Hello Kitty…

A man in Denver tries to rob a library.

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The Indiana Daily Student says tight end Blake Powers’ arrest for accidentally throwing a water balloon at an off-duty cop is indicative of a large problem. I think it’s a slow summer and they’re over-reacting.

Steve Spurrier is really not that stoked about South Carolina’s admission process.

Jamarcus Russell’s holdout to go into September? It’s hard not to be reminded of what happened with Philip Rivers in. He held out, missed a bunch of camp and Drew Brees came in and revamped his career. Could the same thing happen with Daunte Culpepper?

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King checks in from training camp.

Jermaine O’Neal wants to be dealt to the Lakers. As a Pacer fan, I think J.O. is a complete malcontent and hasn’t shown up to play for the Pacers in at least two seasons. If the Pacers can get value for him (which I don’t think they can — Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom is not going to cut it) then they should deal him.

The Fanhouse has begun its SEC preview. Good stuff.

• The underdogs.
• The toughest schedules.
• The conference’s most overrated players.
• Coaches on the hot seat.
• Biggest shoes to fill.
• Position battles.
• Five impact freshmen.

Slate magazine wonders what it would be like if all the major sports allowed doping.

New York’s ten best interviews in sports.

The Indianapolis Star’s Terry Hutchens on the Hoosiers first day of football practice.

The Detroit Free Press on what to watch this year from Michigan/Michigan State.

Matt Flynn is ready to go as LSU quarterback.

Will highly touted Tennessee freshmen cornerback Eric Berry also see time at QB?

There is no question that Georgia will only go as far as Matthew Stafford can take them.

Freshmen looking to make a difference for Gators.

Texas rookie Amobi Okoye on his childhood in Nigeria.

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Well rounded news….

New York Magazine on being a Bravo reality star.

Some really amazing fan-made posters for the new J.J. Abrams project, whatever the name of that is.

Steve Jobs IMs the Times?

The San Fransisco Chronicle’s Mick LaSalle asks who is the greatest living director?

Tom Hanks to star in Farenheit 451?

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2007 songs of summer.

Yesterday was kind of a busy day here in Destin, ran around and had a bunch of interviews for Saturday’s paper so I didn’t get a chance to post a Line or an SEC preview. Today’s Line will be stories from yesterday as well as stories from today.

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No, seriously…

Pittsburgh hospital takes a stand against crocs.

AMC doesn’t carry nickels?

Apparently life is tough when you share a name with a boy wizard.

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Is this the last year for D-Nabb in Philly?

McNabb appears to be showing promise early in training camp.

The Ocho Cinco has some money set aside for fines.

More of the Fanhouses Big Ten preview:

• Most overrated players
• Coaches on the hot seat
• Key position battles
• The five best players
• The underdogs
• Toughest schedules

Penn State QB Anthony Morelli is confident but is he overconfident?

Virginia Tech hopes football season will mark a return to normalcy.

Joe Theismann says he urged Tony Kornheiser to stick with Monday Night Football.

Eagles fans crash Cowboys training camp.

The Colts are parting ways with defensive tackle Corey Simon.

Pro d-backs put Indiana wideout James Hardy through his paces.

‘Browns insider’ says Brady Quinn’s agent is the reason rookie QB isn’t in camp yet.

Wolverine players tell Jim Harbaugh where to go over academic criticisms.

SI’s Peter King says Brady Quinn is a fool for not being in camp.

What a dope Michael Strahan is.

Joe Paterno considers staying in the press box. Consider this — retire.

Wilbon on the death of Bill Walsh.

IU to pay tribute to Coach Hep on uniforms, helmets.

Big Ten commish Jim Delaney proving once more that he really is a complete idiot.

UCF is loving their new digs.

Baton Rouge Advocate talks some LSU football.

Vince Young proves that his low Wunderlich score wasn’t a fluke; punches teammate’s helmet with throwing hand.  The Tennessean.

Tech group files complaints against sports leagues over fair use.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio expects the Spartans to be bowl bound in ‘07.

A nice story on the rise of Michigan true quarterback Ryan Mallett. Expect to see Mallett some playing time this season in mop-up duty. In time, I firmly believe Mallett will prove to be a much better quarterback than his rival Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. 

The State (Columbia, S.C.) ranks the SEC quarterbacks.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart ranks the SEC best running backs.

The NFL to produce a Vince Lombardi biopic.
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Well-rounded news…

The University of Iowa could become the first university to name one of its colleges after a corporation following a $15 million gift from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Disney has pulled the plug on its plans for a ‘Ratatouille’ wine.

Two-a-days are becoming a thing of the past in the NFL.

Even investment bankers love them some Facebook.

Blogger thinks new Bourne film is an attack on the Bush administration.

Wyclef says Lauryn Hill is the reason there hasn’t been a Fugees reunion.

Halo 3 to feature online multi-player co-op.

Tech blog Valleywag urges Facebook to stop counting its money and fix the site.

First season of Heroes to come out on DVD later this month. YES!

John Mayer, Dave Matthews and Nas set to play gig at Virginia Tech in September.

Cinematical reviews The Bourne Ultimatum, which I am excited beyond words to see tomorrow night.  Another review from Time Magazine.

Robert Downey, Jr. talks about playing Iron Man.

Rumors swirl over the title of J.J. Abrams’ new project. Some production stills from the set.

The Detroit Free Press interview Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett.

Not everyone was a fan of Rocco Dispirito’s cameo on Top Chef last night.

Entertainment Weekly wants to know who you like more: Bond or Bourne?

American Airlines will test in-flight broadband next year.

One story in particular had been yelling at the radio this morning. It’s this Oklahoma football story and how the program has to vacate all 8 of its 2005 wins stemming from the dismissal of Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn prior to the start of last season. I simply don’t think the punishment is enough. I think the program should not vacate the wins, they should forfeit them. All the teams they beat in 2005 should be credited with wins that includes their bowl game. Secondly, they should be put on probation.. no bowl games this year or next. The NCAA has to take a firm stance and let these football factories know that they need to keep an eye on their athletes. The programs have to be held accountable for the actions of their players. This story really makes you wonder what is going on with the Oklahoma Athletic Department. This is the second time in two years that the NCAA has come down with major sanctions against one of its cornerstone programs (former OU coach Kelvin Sampson was punished for making too many phone calls to recruits prior to his first season at IU).

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No, seriously…

How valuable is parking in New York? Try more than your house. Yet another reason living in the Big Apple is atrociously overrated, same goes for Boston.

A Connecticut man is being spared jailed time after spiking the grape juice of a local church with dish soap.

The British military has denied that they intentionally released man-eating badgers in Iraq.

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Eli Manning took a shot at departed Giants running back Tiki Barber yesterday. Finally, I think for all the complaining and sniping Tiki Barber did during his last two years in New York, it’s nice to see someone call him out. I just didn’t think it would have been the near-catatonic Eli.

The New York Rangers have rewarded goalie Henrik Lundqvist with a raise. So let me get this straight, the Rangers can give Lundqvist a raise, sign Scott Gomez and Chris Drury and still afford to keep Marty Straka, Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr? This story typifies my continuing frustration with Sabres management who just don’t seem to understand the modern free agency market in the NHL. They were mad that Edmonton made an offer to Thomas Vanek. THEY’RE TRYING TO GET BETTER! That’s what good teams do in the off-season.

West Virginia running back Steve Slaton has sights set on a national championship and says he’ll stay in school as long as it takes. My guess? Championship or not, he’s out of Morgantown after this year.

The New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica says A-Rod would be crazy to stay in New York.

The early season forecasts aren’t good for Purdue or IU.

What kind of season will ‘07 be for Steve Spurrier?

Interesting L.A. Times piece about new USC QB Mitch Mustain. I think Mustain will be the Drew Henson of USC, a semi-notable playing wearing a headset and a ball cap. The school is consistently recruited top talent at QB and having to sit this year out could put him behind Mark Sanchez and freshman QB Aaron Corps.

Marlins president David Samson is emphatic in his claim that Ichiro’s contract with “ruin baseball.”

The Fanhouse on what IU needs to do this season to move forward from the passing of Coach Hep.

Pete Carroll says LSU head coach Les Miles didn’t slam the Trojans; he slammed the teams they play.

Darius Miles is a nice guy.

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed a deal with Darko Milicic. At this point, I don’t think anyone has any idea what this kid can do. I’ll be interested to see how he performs in Memphis if he can get consistent minutes.

Fanhouse’s 6-12 ranking of the SEC’s quarterbacks.

Oklahoma is planning to appeal the ruling handed down from the NCAAPre yesterday.

Hoosiers’ at no. 8 in “Premature” basketball poll.

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Well-rounded news…

Bush 86’s press conference joke.

The nation’s largest union of firefighters is appealing to Americans not to support the presidential bid of former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Entertainment Weekly interviews Stephen Colbert about his upcoming book.

The 20 best and worst celebrity blogs.

USAToday’s Pop Candy blog wants to know about your favorite band t-shirt. Mine’s an old Bush t-shirt, circa Razorblade Suitcase, with Gavin Rossdale’s mug on the front that I found at Goodwill in Terre Haute.

A tough story to read. An interview with the man who was involved in the car accident that killed David Halberstam.

Author and Bottom Line fav Chuck Klosterman is planning to write a sports book.

Digg founder Kevin Rose sounds off on the controversy over DiggNation’s parent company Revision3, suing a user who pirated episodes of the FREE show. This story is hard to swallow for me. I enjoy DiggNation, I kind of think Kevin Rose is a psuedo-intellectual, pseudo-artsy, pretentious moron but I find the show enjoyable. And I have a hard time dealing with the fact that they threatened legal action against a guy who pirated the podcasts when they themselves have talked openly about their own piracy on the show. If only Architecture in Helsinki did a song about hypocrisy than maybe Kevin would quote lines from it on the show while name-dropping the band.

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Favorite Story of the Day

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is alleged to have gone on a Yahoo! stock market forum under an alias to pimp the company’s stock and trash talk rival companies, particularly Wild Oats. Well done, John! I mean can’t all over-priced health food chains get along?

With March Madness tipping off Thursday (sorry play-in game participants).. everyone in your office or class becomes Andy Katz or Digger Phelps. But I guess that’s what makes this event great, right?

After looking at the brackets, there are certainly some interesting match-up possibilities. Of course, those matchups could be completely torched by upsets (i.e. last year) but here’s a couple as my bracket predicts.

Midwest Regional: Oregon/Wisconsin - Drinking the Pac-10 Kool-Aid is something I vowed never to do again but I’m awfully impressed by this Oregon team. The chance to see the Ducks, who handled any and all comers in the Pac-10 tournament, square off against the Badgers (see: POY-candidate Alando Tucker) is a game I’d pay to see. Oregon/Florida - Every one of the Worldwide Leader’s talking heads are picking the Gators to return to the Final Four but I’m not sold. The SEC fielded an unspeakably weak field this year and I’m not sure the Gators have what it takes to beat Arizona, Maryland and Oregon but this game could potentially be a classic. Taj Porter, Aaron Brooks and Bryce Taylor vs. Joke-kim, Brewer and Horford.

West Regional: Of the four regionals (go Hoosiers) this is probably the weakest and least exciting (go Hoosiers). The only potentially exciting matchup would be the elite 8 showdown between Kansas and UCLA. Though I have Kansas in the Final Four, I think they’re the most enigmatic. Bill Self’s resumé in Lawrence has been far from excellent and but I think the Jayhawks will have a relatively easy time disposing of everyone in their half of the bracket. The possible Pitt/UCLA storyline has people excited but I think Saturday night Pitt showed that if they don’t get good looks from the perimeter and Aaron Gray is defended well in the post, they’re easily beatable.

East regional: Hands-down the most exciting bracket in the tournament. Anyone of these match-ups will be worth watching: Texas/USC, Texas/UNC, BC/Georgetown, Washington St./Georgetown, Georgetown/UNC. If this weekend proved anything, it was that Georgetown is the real deal. The low-post combination of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert might be the best in the country. I’m picking Georgetown to emerge from this impressive pack but I wouldn’t be at all surprised I were wrong.

South regional: O-H-I-O. That’s really all you need to say about this bracket. Memphis is the hottest team in the country, Texas A&M and Acie Law could be a tough out but the Buckeyes will be Georgia-bound when it’s all said and done. This is the bracket with the least amount of intriguing potential match-ups. Ohio State’s biggest challenge will be its own youth and inexperience and even though they’re awfully young — they’re awfully good.

My final four picks:

There’s a new header on The Bottom Line. Being the proud IU alum that I am (Class of ‘06), I figured I’d make my allegiance to the Cream and Crimson known as March Madness heats up.

GO HOOSIERS!