JUST CHECKING IN

***HEADLINES***
It's pretty sad that the biggest stories are negative ones. The Penn State scandal, the NBA lockout, and another apology by Rex Ryan, to name three.

Coach K (YOU spell his last name!) became the 2nd coach to amass 900+ career victories and will take the record (903) after the next game. Jim Boeheim isn't too far behind, but probably won't make 900 till next season.

The Green Bay Packers are still undefeated and the front office has got to be thinking, "Hmmm, guess we kept Bret Favre one year too long."

There is a rumor (It's the Silly Season, don't forget) that the Phillies are considering trading Cole Hamels. There goes Brian Cashman's "quiet winter."

This should keep me from getting too cocky. My friend Dwight Perry has over 300 friends on facebook. I have 39...and three of them are animals!

Jonathon Papelbon signed with the Phillies. I guess he got tired of chicken and wants to try the Philly cheesesteak.

The annual winter meeting for general managers takes place in Milwaukee this week. Scott Boras will begin receiving GM's as soon as he can get the kneelers in place. His throne was shipped in last week.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Polling company Poll Position conducted a survey in which 76 percent of Americans said they are doing just fine without NBA games. The other 24 percent said they were NBA players."
-- David Thomas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"I'm not surprised that female kegler Kelly Kulick posed for ESPN the Magazine's "Bodies We Want" edition: "Who better than a bowler to be a pin-up?" -- RJ Currie
"The University of Oklahoma unveiled a statue of ex-Sooners football coach Barry Switzer this month. And in other regional news, pigeons in Nebraska plan to fly south for the winter this year." -- Dwight Perry
"Rex Ryan said the time-out called by Mark Sanchez near the end of the first half (with 17 seconds left on the play clock, thus leaving more time for Tom Brady to score), was “the stupidest thing in football history.” After watching the Falcons go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 29 against the Saints in OT, I’m not even sure it was the stupidest thing on Sunday." -- Janice Hough
"Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has been ordered to pay his wife $131 million. To cover this, the price of a Dodger Dog is now $6,000." -- Brad Dickson

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