One of the things that I hate the most when reading blogs is those that are not updated frequently. And alas, I’ve become one of them. So I returned to my news reader to find more San Diego Comic-Con stories than you can shake a stick at and more Michael Vick news. Fun.

If you get bored, I’d highly recommend Kevin Smith’s Smodcast that he does with longtime friend and producer Scott Mosier. Really funny, insightful stuff on a variety of topics, the least of which appear to be movies. Here’s the link if you’re interested.

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No, seriously…

Who knew an exclamation point could be so expensive.

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Will the NHL return to ESPN next season? And by next season, we mean 2008-2009.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are suing Ticketmaster, claiming the ticket broker of being a *gasp* monopoly?!?! I hate buying anything through Ticketmaster. I think if I had all of my “convenience charges” back, I could finance an Web 2.0 start-up.

You know you’re in trouble when Michael Irvin comes to your defense.

The Titans are shutting down Pacman Jones’ dreams of becoming the next Superfly Jimmy Snuka.

Freddy Adu signs with Portuguese football club Benfica. Wanna know why the MLS is never going to be a successful and respected soccer league? Because it can’t hold onto talent like Adu.

T.J. “Who’s your momma?” thinks NFL commish Roger Goodell is being “mean” to Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman.

Fanhouse’s Big Ten preview.

• Most underrated players
• Impact freshmen
• Players with big shoes to fill

A rare Navy football story.

Eric Wright and Joe Thomas have agreed to contracts with the Browns. Brady Quinn continues to act like a moron.

Wisconsin AD, and former football coach, Barry Alvarez is in favor of a Big Ten championship game if the league expands to 12 teams.

Chicago Tribune columnist says Big 10 commish has some ‘splaining to do.

Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock calls out Priest Holmes.

LSU head coach Les Miles tries to downplay all of the stupid things he’s said this off-season.

Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge is in search of a go-to receiver. Erik, his name is Robert Meachem, he’s in New Orleans. Just thought I could help.

L.A. Times’ columnist T.J. Simers proves can make you an elitist jerk.

Mark Richt says his Georgia Bulldogs are not “too far away” from being a title contender. Check his office for a gas leak.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart on the early Heisman race and the five things to expect in the SEC this year.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz says Georgia is flying under the radar and could surprise some people this year.

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Well-rounded news…

The Consumerist is reporting that Best Buy has fired some Geek Squad personnel following newspaper articles about “agents” taking files from customer’s computer.

Select Best Buy stores open mini-Apple stores.

NBC wants the sometimes-funny Jimmy Fallon to replace Conan O’Brian as late night host.

Premiere’s 20 fresh faces of comedy.

A major investment group has called for the resignation of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey after it was discovered he was posting to a Yahoo! stock forum anonymously.

The Federal Trade Commission may block Whole Foods’ acquisition of rival Wild Oats. Seriously, consumers need two places where they can buy overpriced health food. Good lookin’ out, FTC.

The New York Times and NBC News will collaborate on their coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign.

A first look at the Lost videogame. Warning: You should secure your brain before you watch this! I almost lost mine. No pun intended.

A teaser trailer for the Dark Knight. Oh man. I don’t usually get excited about trailers, especially one that is 45 seconds long. But I’m a dork and I like Batman so this made me excited. 

New Cold War Kids video for “Hospital Beds”.

Kathy Griffin on her date with Andrew W.K.

Kevin Smith to write and direct episode of Heroes spin-off.

Some Lost news from Comic-Con.

Over my morning bowl of cheerios, I watched Mike and Mike this morning and thought the show posed a very interesting question, “Do sports fans care about scandals?” The answer to that question, though, as the pair found out is very complex. As it pertains to steroids in baseball, I don’t care about steroids in baseball or Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s home run record because I just don’t care about baseball. There are enough things in the world for me to be outraged about so much so that I don’t need to feign outrage in anything. But I think with sports scandals in general, sports fans just get worn out. I can’t listen to sports talk radio hosts talk about Michael Vick anymore, or Tim Donaghy or Barry Bonds. I just don’t want to hear it. And it’s not that I don’t care about those stories. I’m just tired. I need a nap from scandals.

In more exciting news, my hometown,Terre Haute, Ind., totally got a shout-out during Tony Dungy’s appearance on Letterman last night to plug his new book.

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No, seriously…

A 16-year-old drove his truck to an island in the middle of a shallow Pennsylvania river and couldn’t get back.

Inmates split on Woody Allen.

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Eagles corner Sheldon Brown says leveling Reggie Bush in the playoffs last year was like running through a cardboard box.

New Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is already putting the team through the ringer.

What is Brady Quinn thinking? I think on draft day, everybody was kind of pulling for the guy to get drafted because of the embarrassment he caused himself by showing up to the draft without knowing where he would go or how far he’d fall. And now he has grossly overestimated his value and is pissing off an entire city that wants to embrace him. Cleveland wants to love Brady Quinn. He needs to quit acting like a petulant child and get to camp. What a dope.

You can still chew snuff at Tennessee football games but Neyland Stadium will now be smoke-free .

Bobby Petrino trying to keep the Falcons focused on the game on the field. Good luck.

LSU senior tailback Alley Broussard is leaving the team.

Matt Leinart’s legal battle with his ex-girlfriend Brynn Cameron could get very public and very messy.

Cotton Bowl executives are lobbying to make the Dallas-based bowl a BCS bowl.

SI’s Stewart Mandel on how the Michael Vick scandal has effected Virginia Tech.

Eagles draftee Kevin Kolb signs with the team. I was so hoping for a holdout.

Boise State running back (and publicity hound) Ian Johnson has hired extra security for his weekend wedding following racist threats.

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Well-rounded news…

USAToday profiles fanboys.

Naomi Watt, Stuart Townsend and Joseph Fiennes have all been cast for roles in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Not so fast.

Blockbuster may be losing money but it’s beating Netflix, says BusinessWeek.

Facebook founder finds himself in court; being sued by former colleagues.

Though relatively small companies, XM and Sirius merger is huge for the future of satellite radio, says Washington Post.

Has the mystery behind J.J. Abrams’ “mystery” project been solved?

How a movie poster got me totally excited for a Western.

The cover of Bottom Line fav. Kanye West’s new album, Graduation.

Blender’s top 25 most influential people in online music.

The Huffington Post’s Eric Williams thinks a Seth Rogan-led Green Hornet movie, or any Green Hornet movie, is a bad idea.

I am tired of the Michael Vick story. I’ve made my position on this matter unmistakably clear. The league, in keeping with the precedent set forth by the commish’s Pacman Jones ruling, have to suspend Michael Vick. I had a feeling that the animal rights’ groups would pressure the league and the franchise so heavily that they would have to make Vick take an indefinite leave of absence. And that’s what’s happening now. That being said, I’m over it. I don’t want to hear anymore about it on sports talk radio or read more columns from reporters across the country about how the league should throw the book at the (soon-to-be former) Falcons QB. I agree with all of those positions, by and large, but I’m done with this story. There is such a thing as media over-saturation and I’m there.

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No, seriously…

The French government has installed two toilets at the top of Mont Blac, Europe’s highest peak, which will have to be emptied by helicopter.

Great white sharks apparently don’t like kayakers.

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How effective will Rams first round pick Adam Carriker be at defensive tackle? I saw Carriker practice at the Senior Bowl and he’s got it all. He’s very quick, has great feet and hands and an unbelievable motor. The Rams shouldn’t over-think this. Leave Carriker at end. 

Great column in today’s Washington Post by columnist Sally Jenkins about the NBA ref scandal.

George Brett and the greatest gameday promotion ever.

Tennessee joins the list of schools who do not plan to drug test its high school athletes. I think a lot of these states are doing a big thing badly. If you think that steroid use and the use of performance enhancing drugs by high school athletes is limited to states like Texas and Florida, you’re kidding yourself. 

Florida basketball lines up another lackluster non-conference schedule.

Butch Davis on trying to rebuild the UNC football program.

Les Miles backs down from USC/Pac-10 comments. Not a bad idea, coach. Maybe Les peeped the Trojans’ depth chart.

Bobby Bowden has high expectations for his pair of (so far) underachieving quarterbacks.

AJC columnist Terence Moore says there is no way Michael Vick ever plays for the Falcons again.

Bob Stoops says he’s in no hurry to name his starting quarterback. At some point, this is just arrogance. Quarterback by committee has never worked anywhere. The Sooners need a starter. 

Carmelo Anthony follows Edgerrin James’ lead; introduces ‘the new Melo.’

Fellow Huskers impressed so far with new quarterback Sam Keller. I kind of think Keller is a baby. When Dirk Koetter didn’t name him starter at Arizona State, instead of staying and fighting it out with Rudy Carpenter, he immediately packed up and left. His mental toughness is certainly suspect.  

Mizzou coach calls QB Chase Daniel “amazing.”

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Response from last night’s YouTube debates is in. (New York Times/Time Magazine’s TV Blog/Jeff Jarvis). To be honest, I didn’t find this all that spectacular. The questions were predictable and kind of average. They certainly were no different than any question posed to the candidates during a traditional debate. I’ve decided that while I think Obama is the more viable candidate and certainly someone I would vote for, I love Joe Biden, even if he puts his foot in his mouth — a lot. Oh and as anyone who watched last night will tell you, Sen. Mike Gravel is nuts.

Premiere Magazine’s list of 10 TV shows that should be movies.

Is Netflix in trouble?

NBC is being sued after someone caught on Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” series killed himself. While it is difficult to argue with the intent of this series, as a journalist, I do not feel in any way that reporters should be doing the police’s job for them and making the news. It was really only a matter of time before this happened.  

Teen Vogue to fold? Where will LC “work?” 

Part 2 in Entertainment Weekly’s Top 50 Best Love Songs ever.

The Cinematical on how much a critic should spoil a film when writing a review. When writing reviews and when I did the Industry Outsider podcast, I tried to always be respectful of the readers and listeners who hadn’t seen the film. To not do that, in my opinion, is an arrogant and pompous things to do because at that point you are not writing the review for anyone else, you’re writing it for your own self-satisfaction.

TiVo to debut a $299.99 HD DVR. Nice. I think this will prove to be the right price point for this product.

CBS’ Public Eye on how the internet has become the destroyer of financial models.

No, seriously…

Bringing new meaning to meals on wheels.

A woman who hates spiders is saved by them.

Jon Lovitz and Andy Dick threw down.. yes, they’re both still alive. Who knew?

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USAToday on quarterbacks who need to have a big ‘07.

The NFL is officially back. That is, if you care about the Jets rookies reporting to Hofstra for orientation.

It is likely all three of the Browns top draft picks will hold out. Seriously, the NFL needs to step in and do something about this. I’m so tired of rookies holding out of training camp. Get in camp, be a professional. They ought to structure rookie salaries the way the NBA does and quit letting rookie holdouts dominate NFL training camp news.

A fun story from the Purdue student newspaper (Trust me, I’m as shocked as you are.. who knew they knew how to write cohesive sentences up there) about a group of Purdue football players waiting in line at Wal-Mart for the new NCAA Football 2008.

Wilbon on Becks.

It looks as though Chiefs fans are siding with Larry Johnson on his contract dispute with the franchise.

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Mandatory Vick News…

The AJC’s Mark Bradley says there’s no easy way out for Falcons.

ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli says the NFL and the Falcons may ask the quarterback to take a paid leave of absence.

Nice cartoon in today’s AJC by political cartoonist Mike Luckovich.

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Well-Rounded News…

Lighters will be allowed back on airplanes. Unreal.

New CEO of Revision3, parent company of Diggnation, talks about the company’s future.

A smaller, cheaper iPhone may be in the works. And in related news, I still don’t care.

CNET teaches you how to ghost hunt.

Young adults and teens aren’t reading the news. Wow, great stuff, guys! Really!

You’re less likely to die in a plane crash if you’re sitting in the back.

This guy is the new Green Hornet:

Huffington Post’s Tony Sachs talks about losing his wife to Harry Potter.

Top 10 things you can do with your time before reading the new Harry Potter.

The New York Post’s Top 100 cover songs of all-time.

Newsweek’s Devin Gordon on the Emmy nominations.

It looks as if the NFL is going to let the legal proceedings play themselves out (something they didn’t do for Pacman Jones) but I’m slowly becoming tired of this story. None the less, here’s more stories if you’re not as tired as I am.

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The Vick story has put the underground world of dogfighting in the public light.

Vick’s future and marketability are very much in jeopardy.

Michael Vick could still face charges in Virginia.

The New York Daily News’ Lisa Olson says the Vick case has helped shed light on an inhumane sub-culture.

With indictment, Vick has put the NFL in a real tight spot.

NFL to let legal proceedings determine the facts.

Baltimore Sun’s Mark Schmuck says commish has enough facts to suspend Vick indefinitely.

The Kansas City Star’s Jason Whitlock says Michael Vick can evolve from the hip-hop, prison culture.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said based on previous cases, Michael Vick has a good chance of beating the rap.

The AJC talks to Falcons fans about the indictment.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz wonders if there is any conceivable way that Michael Vick didn’t know what was going on at his home in Virginia.

Furman Bisher’s open letter to Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

Michael Vick lands ‘no-nonsense’ judge.

NFL should bench Michael Vick now, says Dallas Morning News columnist.

Ditto, says Denver Post.

Vick is league’s latest PR nightmare, LA Times says.

AJC’s Mark Bradley says Vick’s image damaged — but not beyond repair.

Vick story crashes Humane Society website.

Baltimore Sun’s David Steele says Michael Vick deserves everything he gets, guilty or not.

Michael Vick’s in trouble.

Following the announcement that the Falcons quarterback had been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to his alleged involvement with a dogfighting ring run out of a home he owned in Virginia, many are wondering what the quarterback’s future will be.

I was watching Mike & Mike this morning over my morning bowl of Cheerios and Greeny, possibly still riding the high of the pair’s Letterman appearance last night, said he didn’t think the NFL should suspend Michael Vick and then when posed with the obvious Pacman Jones comparison, Greeny kind of stumbled through an answer and didn’t know what to say.

Michael Vick should be suspended for at least half of the season, in keeping with the NFL’s new personal conduct policy.

The last thing the NFL and commish Roger Goodell need at this point is to perpetuate a perception that the league’s stars are above the law. They suspended Pacman Jones for all of 2007 and I’m fine with that, I’ve said before that Jones is a certifiable menace to society and I firmly believe that to be the case. But let’s remember that Pacman Jones, while having numerous run-ins with the law, has not been convicted of anything. He’s been charged with a crime, just like Vick has, and thusly the Falcons quarterback should receive a similar punishment.

Since coming into the league, the NFL has sort of tied its wagon to Vick in the hopes that the freakishly athletic (but certainly underwhelming as a quarterback) Vick and now it needs to take a stand. Being indicted by a federal grand jury is nothing to take lightly and given the evidence and allegations that I’ve read, the league would do well to suspend Vick and send a very clear, unmistakable message to its players that playing in the NFL is a privilege and not a right.

What frustrates me most about Michael Vick is that the league has made him a face of their product and the Falcons have certainly banked a lot of their future on Vick despite the fact that he has NEVER shown the maturity or leadership qualities necessary to lead a Fourth of July parade, let alone an NFL franchise or the league itself.

After watching an interview a couple weeks ago, Vick claimed that Atlanta loved Michael Vick and that he wasn’t worried about any of this. He may very well think he’s untouchable — the NFL has to show him that he’s not.

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Of course coverage of this story is everywhere but here are some of the highlights that I’ve found.

Straight ahead story in USAToday about the indictment, including a link to a PDF of the document itself.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Steve Wyche said Vick has put the Falcons in a very precarious situation.

What Atlantans and Falcons fans are saying about Michael Vick.

Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole says Vick’s indictment will translate into a suspension.

The Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon says this is one problem that Michael Vick can’t elude.

The Fanhouse wonders if Michael Vick didn’t also break the NFL’s no-gambling policy by throwing huge sums of money down on dogfights.

The New York Daily News’ Gary Myers says Goodell must immediately suspend Michael Vick.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Bradley says the Falcons’ quarterback is no longer the face of the franchise or the league, he’s just another fallen star.

The Houston Chronicle’s Jerome Solomon wonders what Vick’s legacy will be.

Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin says it’s too early for Goodell to take what some deem as the necessary action.

MSNBC’s Michael Ventre says the league can’t wait for the verdict and that Vick deserves a lifetime ban.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Bob Lipper says Michael Vick is done.

SI’s Peter King says the league will proceed very cautiously.

Fresh off a trip to Africa, the AJC is reporting that Falcons owner Arthur Blank will meet with league officials to determine the franchise’s next course of action.

The New York Times ponders what happens next in the Vick saga.

Newsweek’s Mark Starr says Vick has the criminal right to remain innocent until proven guilty but he doesn’t have the right to remains the Falcons QB.

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Few have done a better job of covering this national story like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where Vick has remained a divisive figure almost since his arrival in A-Town. The front page of today’s AJC sums up the local importance of this story.

Back from the weekend and hours of Live Earth listening and watching. I think overall the performances were pretty run-of-the-mill if not dull. I think the effect this event will have on people may be their awareness of their everyday decisions that could effect the environment but that can’t be the only residual effect. That concert was supposed to be about widespread, global policy change at the highest level. Not just me making sure my lights are off when I leave my apartment in the morning or buying non-toxic, biodegradable dish soap at Publix (which I did yesterday, I’m answering the call). The genius of Live Earth was that it let everyone know, myself included, that there are so many things you can do to lessen your environmental impacts but isn’t that a little like rummaging through couch cushions for loose change? The only way the global climate crisis (if you believe it to be such) is going to be impacted in any significant way is if governments (like ours) get involved and gets concerned. Then and only then can real, substantial changes be made.

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No, seriously…

Man assaults brother with lawn gnome.

Boy named Hell barred from Australian catholic school.

A man in New Hampshire robbed a bank dressed as a tree.

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The Detroit Free-Press offers ways to rebuild Michigan State football.

The Tennessean answers some burning pre-season SEC questions.

The Oklahoman says the Sooners have to hitch their wagon to wideout Malcom Kelly if they want to win the Big 12.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Ted Miller takes on LSU’s Les Miles’ comments about the Pac-10. And then follows up today after being bombarded with e-mails. SEC fans are as defensive of their schedule as Notre Dame fans are about how weak the Irish’s schedule is annually.

Major League baseball is not letting Worldwide Leader broadcast from the site of this week’s All-Star game. Finally a baseball story I can get behind.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders how hard it would be for the Falcons to move Michael Vick.

New York Magazine on how best to get your mug on television at a game. Here’s a hint: bring a kid, preferably your own or one that you know. Kidnapping is a felony.

West Virginia running back Noel Devine: The next Reggie Bush or the next Pacman Jones?

Brian Dawkins is saying that if all the Eagles’ playmakers play at their highest-level, the Birds can pack their bags for Glendale. Your lips to God’s ears, Brian.

New York Magazine on how not to get beat up at a baseball game.

The story out of Buffalo keeps getting more bizarre. Daniel Briere’s agent is refuting the claims made by Sabres management about negotiations between his client and the team.

The Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan says Sabres management need to take some responsibility for how poorly handled this off-season has gone for the team.

Dan Patrick is leaving the Worldwide Leader to pursue “new endeavors.” These endeavors will include looking at himself in the mirror for a minimum of three hours a day, erect a Taj Mahal-like shrine to himself in his backyard and, of course, writing love notes to Keith Olbermann.

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Well-rounded news…

Mark Cuban’s spat with the Dallas Morning News.

Live Earth expected to break records in internet streams.

Facebook to go public?

Sony cuts the price of the PS3 by $100. Microsoft to follow suit?

Northwest Airlines has announced that it is now accepting Paypal as a valid form of payment for airline tickets. Great news for consumers. Now you can buy that $2.25 autographed 8×10 glossy of Pauly Shore and a trip to see your mom the same way.

Voters are already showing signs of fatigue from the ‘08 presidential race and the election is still 16 months away.

Variety’s Steven Mirkin takes the Live Earth telecast to task.

Jim Carey will play Ebeneezer Scrooge in an upcoming Robert Zemeckis version of “The Christmas Carol.” According to reports, Carey will play at least four roles in the film, which will utilize performance capture technology similar to those in the Zemeckis/Hanks Christmas vehicle, The Polar Express.

Voting has wrapped up on Time’s New Seven Wonders of the World.

One of my favorite authors, Chuck Klosterman, talks to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Time Magazine’s Bryan Walsh on what Live Earth really meant.

Newsweek wonders just how green Live Earth really was.

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Inside baseball…

Slate’s Jack Shafer says the new color of sensational journalism is green.

An interesting column in the Buffalo News today by columnist Bucky Gleason where he puts on Sabres GM Darcy Reiger’s hat for the day. What I like most about this column was the thought Gleason clearly put into this column. I’ve attached a link to what he calls “The Gleason Plan” for the Sabres.

A really great piece in the New York Times this morning by Howard Beck on the NBA coaching carousel and how it doesn’t involve Larry Brown. According to Beck, Brown openly campaigned for the Kings job, which they gave to Reggie Theus — who has never been an NBA head coach.

The Louisville Courier-Journal’s Rick Bozich has apparently gotten a little lazy and bored during the dog days of summer and is asking readers to do his job for him. If you have a story idea for Mr. Bozich, he’d love to hear it. He’s fresh out.

Falcons wideout Brian Finneran will miss the entire 2007 season to have reconstructive surgery on his right knee. This is obviously a blow to the Falcons offense and to Michael Vick who can use all the receiver help he can get. It certainly makes you wonder if Finneran’s career is over. This is the second consecutive year he will miss due to injury.

The Bottom Line believes that it’s never too early to start talking college football and SI.com’s Stewart Mandel broke down the 10 regular season matchups, he believes will determine the National Champion. There are two games on this list I take exception with. One is the LSU/Alabama game in Baton Rouge. Granted it’s Saban’s return to Death Valley but he doesn’t have the talent —yet— to knock off the Tigers at home. And secondly, the game between Boise State and Hawaii. Two overrated teams who have no legitimate claim to the national title in anyway square off — no thanks.

The Supreme Court upheld state rules that prohibit high schools from recruiting athletes. The case began in Tennessee where Brentwood Academy turned itself into a state powerhouse, in part by encouraging young athletes to transfer there. The decision was unanimous.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick missed a meeting with members of Congress regarding concerns about lack of funding for after school programs.

Before anyone, myself included, starts in about Vick’s lack of class and so forth, it should be noted that flight delays in Tampa caused him to miss the meeting. Apparently he played in Warrick Dunn’s golf tournament in Tampa and was scheduled to fly to Washington but due to flight delays in Tampa, he missed his connection in Atlanta.

But this is the quote that I thought was particularly telling, it comes from Vick’s publicist, Susan Bass.

“‘It honestly was not his fault,’ Bass said. ‘He was trying to do the right thing.’

This is a guy who is such a mess off the field and has such questionable character that his publicist has to defend him when HE MISSES A FLIGHT.

In other news, Vick is so concerned about the lack of federal funding for after school programs (just like he was so concerned about the families of those killed at Virginia Tech last week) that he made a generous donation — whatever cash he had in his pocket ($234 to be exact) and 50 Aquafina bottles with hidden compartments for “jewelry.” And don’t worry about throwing those bottles away kids (especially at airport security checkpoints), they’re biodegradable.