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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

What was the best city to be a sports fan in 2008?

What was the worst city to be a sports fan in 2008?

I think the best city argument can come down to a few different cities.

1. Boston

Positive: Super Bowl runner up, Return to NBA dominance with their first championship since the 80’s, and another post season run in baseball.

Negatives: The Tom Brady injury, Tom Brady went to Michigan, lost the super bowl in which they were heavily favored and ruined their historical season.

2. New York

Positive: Their improbable super bowl win puts them in contention for the year.

Negative: the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs this year for the first time since the early 90’s, Brett Favre moved there.

3. Philadelphia

Positive: First World Series win in over 20 years.

Negative: Franchise QB doesn’t know the rules of football.

4. Detroit – Positive: NHL championship…which is pretty neat…I guess; finally got rid of Matt Millen; Pistons made another post season run.

Negative: Detroit Lions still winless after 10 games, the Detroit Tigers in general, and it’s in Michigan.

I don’t think you can argue that Seattle was the worst city in which to be a sports fan this year…maybe worst of all time.

Postives: ………coffee?

Negatives: Lost NBA team to Oklahoma City, Kept WNBA team, Mariners were basement dwellers, the Seahawks are horrible and apparently the Space Needle doesn’t actually go to outer space.

What city do you think was the best?

Worst?

Leave your comments below so we can debate them.

The story of Marvin Harrison and the Philadelphia shooting just got fresh legs.

According to to Philly.com, the victim of the shooting has filed a civil lawsuit against Marvin Harrison. Furthermore, just because criminal charges have not yet been filed does not necessarily mean that they will not be forthcoming at some point in the future. According to the Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney, the case is still considered open. (In related news, Peyton Manning claims that while the criminal investigation into Marvin Harrison the potential shooter is still open, Manning’s own field investigation into Marvin Harrison the wide receiver has concluded that he is not open; at least not as much as he used to be.)

The victim in question is a man named Dwight Dixon. He reportedly would not identify Marvin Harrison as the shooter initially, which contributed to the District Attorney’s hesitance to file criminal charges; however, has now come forward with the accusations that are the basis for the civil suit, which claim that Harrison was the shooter. Apparently Dwight Dixon is just as decisive as Peyton Manning at the line of scrimmage. (I will now force myself to stop making lame and cliched Peyton Manning jokes.)

According to the facts that have been gathered thus far by the Philly D.A., the following is known to have occurred regarding the involvement of Marvin Harrison in the events leading up to and surrounding the shooting of Dwight Dixon (quoting Philly.com explicitly):

* Harrison and Dixon squabbled for two weeks before the shooting after they exchanged words in Playmakers, a bar on 28th Street near Cambridge that Harrison owns.

* Ballistics tests proved shell casings found at the shooting scene had been fired from Harrison’s gun, a Belgian-made FN5.7, law-enforcement sources said.

* Detectives found the firearm in Harrison’s garage on Thompson Street.

* Witnesses and Dixon separately identified Harrison as the shooter, the sources said.

Despite these purported facts, Dixon’s oft-changing story may work against him. Certainly, he wishy-washiness will be highlighted heavily by the Marvin Harrison defense team during the upcoming proceedings, which will no doubt feature an under-oath deposition of Harrison. Marvin Harrison will have the option of invoking his 5th Amendment rights if he so chooses; but, this could be seen as an implicit admission of guilt and according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (a lawyer) this invocation of the 5th Amendment would be admissible in the civil trial. In the face of seemingly strong circumstantial evidence that, at the very least, seems to suggest negligence on Harrison’s part (since his gun was the one used in the shooting, regardless of if he pulled the trigger or not), one would think he would be compelled to explain his side of the story.

I had been wondering what had become of this case considering its evaporation from recent media coverage. The original story of the shooting, and the potential involvement of quiet, mild-mannered Marvin Harrison, was one of the most surprising stories I had ever read. Perhaps there is more to this story that we do not know and Marvin Harrison will be cleared of the most serious charges; or, perhaps we’ll learn that there was much more to Marvin Harrison that met the eye. Either way, it will be fascinating to watch this story play itself out and it has been a good lesson: just because someone is quiet and reluctant to talk does not necessarily mean they don’t have good stories to tell.

It remains to be seen if Marvin Harrison will tell his story, and exactly what kind of trouble it may (or may not) get him into.

[tags]marvin harrison, indianapolis colts, civil suit, shooting, philadelphia[/tags]