"Manning" Up

Before school starts, a few diddlies on the NFL, as in (Peyton) "Manning" Up, and other sports-related events:

-Tomorrow begins one of the best sports weeks of the year for me: the Little League World Series. If you're wondering, yes, I was watching the regional final between Mass and Rhode Island and that was an epic walk-off grandslam the kid hit to win the game. That kind of magic can only happen when you're twelve years old. It's special. Who am I pulling for? Mercer Island, WA. Why the heck not? It's Little League, and it's awesome.

-Thank God Roger Goodell suspended Dante Stallworth for the season, but Plaxico Burress gets 2 years for shooting himself in the leg? Someone on ESPN said it best, something to the effect of "Jail is for people who do bad things," and Burress is not one of them. He shot himself, by accident. He didn't run a dogfighting business, and he certainly didn't kill another man with his car while driving drunk. Where is this world headed? This Burress thing should have been open and shut a while ago - 1 year max sentence, probably less, community service about gun violence. How difficult is that?

-Watch out for Oklahoma State on the gridiron. Can't exactly call 'em sleepers, but they could be in the BCS mix come January. The three-headed monster of Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant can prove nasty if they stay healthy. Offensive shootouts galore at the OK Corral. Go 'Pokes!

-Brett Favre will lose to the Packers at least once this season, but he will also lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship. 40 years old or not, torn bicep or whole, he will find a way. I'm sticking my neck out here, Brett. Get to it!

-Kentucky basketball fans, congratulations - you're about to be sick. Your fab five for this season are about to be trained and coached by the only coach to ever take two different schools to the Final Four and get in trouble for violations both times. Don't think you're immune, even if you do make the Final Four. You hired him, you have to live with him. Cal, you're a cheat, and your haircut belongs on a used car salesman. What goes around comes around, and it's coming to you, buddy. Just wait.