""He'll be ok," Hansbrough's father, Gene, told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. "His leg's been bothering him for a couple of weeks. It's a stress reaction and he needs to rest a bit. He just needs time to let it heal. There is no reason for him to limp through it."

According to ESPN medical analysist Dr. Michael Kaplan, the MRI likely showed increased uptake in tibia (leg bone) suggesting a stress reaction. An overload or overuse type phenomenon occurs with inflammation and, ultimately, fatigue failure with stress fracture. This is a precursor condition to stress fracture. A period of rest is mandatory for tissues to quiet down or worsening injury will result.

"The names included softball players Jennie Finch and Jessica Mendoza and soccer player Abby Wambach, who broke her leg and missed the Olympic Games. It also included two Paralympians, one athlete who wasn't a member of the 2008 softball team and a top female collegiate golfer. Golf is not an Olympic sport.

"We viewed these concerns as being entirely unjustified and unwarranted," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said in an e-mail Wednesday. "As such, we rejected the request to address this with our athletes or transmit the letter to them. We saw absolutely no need to burden the athletes with this."

Jennie Finch? Paralympians? Nice work, China. Very thorough report.

One athlete on the list couldn't be happier about it.

""This may be the biggest compliment of my life," Wambach, a member of Team Darfur, said in a phone interview when informed of the list. "If they're worried about us, maybe we do have more strength as athletes and as people to speak out. This just gives me more empowerment."

"You are bidding on rain from the same storm system that brought the game to a screeching halt. It is in the process of being collected (as I write this) not 5 miles away from Citizens Bank Park. It will be contained in a small vial and then sent to you via priority mail. I do not know what size vial or exactly how much you will get but it will be no less than 2 ml. I took a picture of the rain that I have collected thus far in the pan that is sitting on my front steps. That is the only collection unit that I am using so a very limited number of vials will be available & once they are gone, they are gone. Some will laugh but others will covet this tangible piece of history in the making...

"Cougars' coach Kevin Sumlin said that while he had "his opinions" on the subject, he would offer no comment on such a dangerous situation. University of Houston athletics director Dave Maggard said he will pursue the subject with Marshall officials.

"It was duly noted and I think we'll save the conversation for another day," Maggard said. "I don't think there is any question that it is a problem. We all noticed it, and we want to find out why something like that would occur. It was a serious injury, no question about it."

"Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona is set to be named coach of the national side after he came out of a meeting with Argentinian Football Association president Julio Grondona on Tuesday.

The Albicelestes have been without a coach since Alfio Basile stepped down for personal reasons on October 16 and although Grondona has yet to announce it to the press, reports suggest that the official presentation will take place on Thursday.

"Free agent quarterback Daunte Culpepper is visiting the Lions today, after reportedly canceling a visit to Kansas City and saying he is in negotiations with a team that is a better fit.

Today's Bulls preview comes to us courtesy of Mike Lansu, who was glad to take a break from writing about autopsy reports and four-alarm fires. When not breaking cops and court news, you can find him using his lanky frame on the low box at any number of West Side gyms.

The Bulls are the most difficult team in the NBA to project.

They don't have anybody who can consistently score and the other team always has the best player on the floor (Seriously. If you don't believe me, pick a team - any team. They have somebody on the team better than everybody on the Bulls.) The Bulls have a lot of guys who don't play defense and have too many guards and not enough big men.

Can a team with a rookie point guard and head coach live up to last season's preseason expectations of Eastern Conference contenders? Could they actually be worse than last year with Rose and Del Negro? Is sneaking into the playoffs with a record around .500 a good thing for the long-term success of the franchise?

For the Bulls to return to Eastern Conference contenders they will need more than Rose and Del Negro to outperform expectations. The Bulls teams of the mid-2000s that made strides from NBA laughing stocks to contenders had one thing the 2008-09 squad does not: interior presence.

At center, Ben Wallace and Tyson Chandler played like the biggest players in The Association. Offensively, the only thing they provided was a rebounding presence that forced opponents to put an extra body on them, leading to increased rebounding production from the teams' forwards. But defensively, Wallace and Chandler were feared. Opponents were scared to drive, allowing the Bulls' other guards to take chances on the perimeter that led to easy points in transition.

If Del Negro's preseason rotation is any indication, Drew Gooden will be the Bulls' starting center. Offensively, Gooden should succeed against slower centers in transition, but tends to settle for 15-foot jumpers in the half-court game. Having a big body on the perimeter puts a lot of pressure on the forwards and guards to get in the paint and rebound.

Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray are better suited to play center. However, Noah often plays out-of-control and picks up too many fouls to see major minutes. Gray is one of the slowest players in the league. He makes Will Perdue look fast.

The Bulls will need production out of the forwards if they aren't going to get it at center. Loul Deng is one of the best complementary players in the league, but doesn't have a scorer to create shots for him. For the Bulls to succeed, he will need to create and become that prolific scorer. He is the best player on the team and needs to step up on the offensive end.

If Gooden starts at center, Tyrus Thomas must play power forward. The often-erratic Thomas looked more mature in the preseason, but is still young and probably a year or two away from being a consistently dominant player. He should put up monster numbers in some games, but will be a non-factor in others.

Off the bench, Andres Nocioni is the only established forward coming off the bench. He can play both forward positions, likes to bang in the paint and has a jumper good all the way out to three-point range. He has lost a step and his tendency to get into early foul trouble limits his minutes. SLEEPER: Cedric Simmons could get playing time if Gooden makes a permanent move to center. The athletic N.C. State alum is a more polished but less talented version of Thomas.

When healthy, the Bulls have a bevy of guards that can score and create. Rose will see significant minutes at the point. Hinrich will start at the shooting guard and move to point guard when Rose comes out of the game.

Rose should create for teammates - especially the athletic Thomas - but a poor jumper will make for inconsistent scoring nights. He also needs to work on his defense. Hinrich is the safe choice at shooting guard. He is too small and too slow to dominate offensively, but he won't turn the ball over much and will consistently make open jumpers. He is a tough defender who can guard bigger guards despite giving up a couple inches.

Backup Thabo Sefalosha has looked good in the preseason and should work his way into Del Negro's rotation. He is a lockdown defender with a developing offensive game. He was drafted as a point guard, but that clearly isn't going to work in the NBA and coaches need to move him to shooting guard full time. Gordon will come off the bench, shoot a lot, not play any defense and complain that he is under paid. Larry Hughes is hurt - but it doesn't matter because he won't play much because he is neither talented nor young.

So how many wins can a team with no center and no consistent scorer win? More than you think. While they don't have a consistent 20-plus point-per-game player, they have lots of guys who could go for 30 any night. As long as one player has a great game every night they should contend on the offensive end. And Rose is a smart enough point guard to find the teams go-to guy early in the game and find ways to get him the ball.

When nobody can score they have virtually no chance because they are that bad defensively. Hinrich and Deng are the only starters who play above-average defensive. The bench players just foul - except for Hughes and Gordon who don't even bother to do that.

The Bulls should finish around .500 and sneak into the playoffs, which isn't necessarily a good thing for the long-term development of the franchise. Until the Bulls find a consistent scorer they will linger as a middle-of-the-pack team.

"Breakfast: Your favorite chocolate cereal along with two or three chocolate cream-filled donuts. Wash it down with a little hot chocolate.

Mid-morning snack: A chocolate candy bar(with or without nuts) to hold you over and give you a boost until lunch.

Lunch: A big tall glass of chocolate milk is a must along with your meal. Try a piece of chocolate pie or pudding for dessert.

Mid-Afternoon: Eat healthy(???) with some chocolate covered raisins. This contains both vegetable and fruit.

 Dinner: If you are an adult, sip a chocolate liqueur before dinner. Chocolate flavored coffee is a must with dinner. Dessert is none other than chocolate cake.

Nighttime snack: Chocolate ice cream, of course!

A pretty daunting lineup, even for the sugar-savvy.

What are your favorite chocolate items?

"Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said the decision by a replay official to award Michigan's Brandon Minor with a touchdown against Michigan State on Saturday, overruling the on-field referee's call, was "not acceptable."

"The people in the replay booth made a mistake," Delany said while meeting with reporters at the conference's basketball media day Sunday. "It wasn't a mistake of judgment; it was a mistake of an application of the rule. They applied the wrong rule and they applied it improperly."

"Sources said Morgan could be shifted to the network's midweek baseball telecast, where he would work with a new play-by-play partner.

His likely Sunday night replacement would be Rick Sutcliffe. If there is a switch, it is not a given Miller would stay in the "Sunday Night Baseball" booth, either. He too could be moved to another night or over to the radio side.

"We expect both Jon and Joe to be back in the Sunday night booth next season," an ESPN spokesman said.

Of course there is a big difference between "expect" to be back and definitely returning. So there is something up here. Miller and Morgan have spent nearly two decades together. During that time their relationship has had its rocky moments. That's no secret.

"The origins of "Nittany" are a bit obscure, but most likely the word comes from a Native American term meaning, "single mountain." (Since a number of Algonquian-speaking tribes inhabited central Pennsylvania, the term can't be traced to one single group.) The description applied to the mountain that separates what is today Penns Valley and Nittany Valley, with its western end overlooking the community of State College and Penn Sate's University Park campus. The first colonial settlers in the 1700s adopted this term, or a variation of it, in formally naming Nittany Mountain.

Thus by the time Penn State admitted its first students in 1859, the word "Nittany" was already in use. Following the emergence of the Nittany Lion mascot in the early 1900s, Nittany gained even more public prominence. Today, the word helps to define a host of places, services, and other entities in the Nittany Valley. Some of those most closely related to Penn State are included here.

Now you know.

""Even as I try to move on with my life, I still find it necessary to take one more stand and fight," she writes in the book, "The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story."

"I want to assert, without equivocation, that I was assaulted. Make of that what you will. You will decide what that means to you because the state of North Carolina saw fit not to look at all that happened the night I became infamous."

Anyone out there going to buy this book?

If you watched the game last night, you probably noticed that the running game had a significant impact. While Jason Bartlett's steal may have been the most rewarding baser-running move of the night, Cole Hamel's pickoff of Carlos Pena was the most important of all the cat and mouse games.

"In the entire NLCS, the Phillies stole two bases. In the division series, they stole five.

But pitchers weren't tipping their moves to first and second bases in those series. Scott Kazmir was.

So in the second inning, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz attempted a double steal, foiled when Carlos Ruiz fouled off a pitch. In the third, Jayson Werth ran on a 1-and-1 pitch to Utley, who two innings earlier had homered, meaning it wasn't near worth the risk of being thrown out - unless Werth knew he would make it. In all, seven Phillies broke for the next base, the first five against Kazmir.

"Mr. Green Genes -- his name comes from Mr. Green Jeans, a character on the long-departed "Captain Kangaroo" television show -- is deeply suspicious of strangers. He spends most of his days napping, and he doesn't like being held when he doesn't want to be cuddled.

In normal light, the 7-pound cat, who lives at the center, looks and acts like any other feline.

But turn out the room lights and switch on some black light, and you can see glowing ears, nostrils, eyes and gums. Those body parts light up because the protein is more likely to express itself in mucous membranes, Lyons said.

"You can't lose that cat at night," said C. Earle Pope, the center's senior scientist.

That cat is going to get caught up the rave scene. Trust me.

"As promised, Americans will feast on millions of free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Tacos as Taco Bell's "Steal A Base, Steal A Taco" World Series promotion paid off for the second straight year.

Fans can visit any participating Taco Bell location on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) and claim their free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco.

"You know we had Jason pegged as the guy who might steal millions of tacos for America," said David Ovens, chief marketing officer, Taco Bell Corp. "This is one stolen base that goes into the record books more than just a stat, but as a steal that fed the country."

"The sixth-ranked Red Raiders are now seriously considering giving Matt Williams a shot against No. 18 Kansas this weekend.

Williams is a Tarleton State transfer student who won a month of free rent at the Tech/UMass game several weeks ago by kicking a 30-yard field goal. After his successful try, Williams was walking back to his seat when he was flagged down.

"They relayed a message to me saying that Coach [Mike] Leach wanted to talk to me," Williams told RedRaiderSports.com the next day. "He told me to come into his office on Tuesday and talk to him, and then Coach [Clay] McGuire told me to come and speak with him on Monday."

Texas Tech is the school that brought you this show and routinely throws the ball 90 times a game, so it should come as no surprise that they're trying something unconventional.

"Those funds, along with $37 million from other donors, were invested in BP Capital Management, a hedge fund controlled by Pickens. At the time, it looked like a windfall that would keep on giving. Instead, Pickens recently acknowledged that his investments had lost $1 billion this year amid the financial crisis.

Now, building on Oklahoma State's athletic village has been held up, and the athletic director, Mike Holder, said the project would have to wait until Pickens's financial situation improved. Holder and a spokesman for BP Capital declined to disclose the current value of the university's investment in Pickens's hedge fund.

More is sure to develop in this story as we found out just how bad things are in Stillwater, or if it's a non-issue. Rumor has it (from some commentators) that there will be more news on this on Monday.

"With the Major League Soccer season in the United States nearly over, Beckham is eager to join another club in Europe so he can remain match fit and keep his place in England's squad for World Cup qualifying.

England coach Fabio Capello has said he will not pick players who are not active.

"We'll sign him for a few months and then he'll go back. Beckham has chosen Milan," Galliani said at Malpensa airport before flying to a UEFA Cup match. "Our team is very competitive and will remain as is, but Beckham is something different and intriguing."

It goes back to a phrase that second baseman Chase Utley has been known to utter on occasion: "Get the rubber duck out of your butt."

In other words, relax.

Utley told manager Charlie Manuel to get the rubber duck out during a recent playoff game when things were not going so well. It struck a chord with Manuel, whose team tangles with the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow.

Manuel wanted some rubber ducks for his players and coaches. Bonnie Clark, the Phillies' vice president for communications, placed the order - each duck was different from the next - and the team's clubhouse staff placed them in the lockers. Some of the ducks matched the players better than others. For instance, Brett Myers, a fan of heavy metal music, had a skull on his.

But the overall message was received.

"Nothing is different just because it's the World Series," closer Brad Lidge said. "Don't change a thing. Just play our game."

"No tight [butts]," Manuel said.

"Move over, B.K. Jackson. The Backstreet Boys will sing the national anthem of game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night, according to team fan experience director Darcy Raymond. Throwing out the first pitch will be Pinellas County Commissioner Bob Stewart. Stewart was a St. Petersburg City Council member back on July 24, 1986, who voted with five others to build the stadium even when the area didn't have a team.

"During the A&E Network's one-hour documentary, "Jose Canseco: The Last Shot," Canseco said he "regrets mentioning players [as steroid users]. I never realized this was going to blow up and hurt so many people."

During the program, the 44-year-old Canseco said he "wanted revenge" on Major League Baseball because he believed he had been forced out of the game. The book was his means of getting even, and he named names "to show I was telling the truth" about steroids in baseball, he said.

Canseco also said he wishes he could apologize to players he named in his book, like Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.

""If I could meet with Mark McGwire and these players, I definitely would apologize to them," Canseco said, according to the New York Daily News. "They were my friends. I admired them. I respected them."

"''One thing that surprises me about Tampa is how their young guys don't care what situation they're in,'' Phillies closer Brad Lidge told MLB.com. ''These are guys 24, 25 years old that look like they're 10-year veterans. They look like they've been there before. They're obviously very talented, but at the same time they're not blinking.''

The Rays finished 51 games out of first place in their 1998 debut season. Before this season, the closest they got to a division title was finishing 18 games out in 2000 under Larry Rothschild, now the Cubs' pitching coach and the first manager of the Devil Rays.

They would have had every right simply to be content to reach the playoffs. Watching them hold off the defending World Series champion Red Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series showed that the young Rays have their eyes on the ultimate prize.

Across the diamond, a well-rested Phillies team is looking to bring the city of Philadelphia its first world title since 1983. A SPAM musubi-fueled Shane Victorino is tearing the cover off the ball and starting pitcher Cole Hamels has been downright dominant in the postseason.

Pat Burrell has been excelling in other ways.

When they wrapped up their series with the Dodgers in five games, we sort of jumped the gun, claiming the Fightins' would take the World Series in five games as well. We'd like to retract that.

Vegas pits the Rays as favorites, Rays fans are learning the only prescription for baseball fever is more cowbell and it's just too good of a Cinderella story to have an unhappy ending. Even though it'd be great to see legendary Phillies' broadcaster Harry Kalas singing again, we think it's going to be Tampa hoisting that trophy.

Sports Pros(e) says: Tampa Bay in Six

What do you think? Who wins and in how many games?

"Eight McIntosh High School cheerleaders have been suspended for being drunk while performing during a varsity football game on Oct. 10, Fayette County schools spokeswoman Melinda Berry-Dreisbach confirmed Friday afternoon.

"They were under the influence at the football game," she said. "I don't know if they had bottles or whatever it was, but they were under the influence."

The McIntosh Chiefs have had trouble stringing together wins this season. That will happen when you have a schedule that features Lithia Springs and Starr's Mill.

"Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com reported Sunday morning that Brett Favre contacted the Lions before their game against the Packers in Week 2 and gave them a lengthy scouting report on Green Bay's offensive schemes. The story was based on anonymous sources. Favre strongly denied the report, according to Peter King of SI.com, who reported that a Lions executive, Tom Lewand, also called the report false.

" Defensive Cullen Jenkins: "I don't know if he's done it or not. It's one of those things, personally and I don't know the situation, but I just think it's kind of messed up how he left here. Hasn't talked to Aaron (Rodgers), wished Aaron good luck or anything or like that but he's called everybody else, called Tony Romo and stuff like that. I don't have nothing against Brett personally. But I think in his position, he could at least show a little more class, a little more respect to Aaron in that regard. If that was the case, if he did talk to the coaches, I could see if he told his coaches if they were going to play us. That's all right. But if you go out of your way to talk to another team, nah, I don't think that's right."

Cornerback Charles Woodson: "He contacted them? I don't respect that. If they called him and he gives them information, that's one thing. But to seek a team out, because you know I guess you're trying to sabotage this team, you know I don't respect that. I know he's been the greatest player around here for a long time but there's no honor in that.

"This is a really terrible setback for Kenny. He worked so hard to get into the situation where he could play last year and was working hard to be ready for this season. To have basketball taken away from him seemingly isn't fair. There's much more to Kenny than just basketball. Our thoughts and prayers are with him as he goes on with his life."

"It might be time to say the obvious, say it out loud and not be embarrassed.

Kyle Orton is for real.

He is the leader of the Bears.

As an admitted narcissist, I'm deriving great pleasure from the recent Kyle lovefest sweeping the city. And there is no way that after seeing just how well he can play that he'll be demoted any time soon. Feel free to buy that No. 18 jersey you've been pining for.

"It feels so strange to have a quarterback. And it's amazing to think that the coaches evaluated Grossman all these years as the better choice.

In fact, they were so into babying Grossman that in his first few years, they didn't want him to feel the pressure of a legitimate quarterback behind him.

So they kept Orton.

All this time, they were playing the wrong guy. But that's all changed, finally.

Who knows what Orton can do.

" A lot of guys making plays, a lot of ups and downs, guys really banded together and we made plays when we had to. It was a great game. We can be a good offense. It's all about execution. We get better every single week. We practice hard and we have a group of guys who are together with a common goal. We work together very well. Doesn't matter how we score, throwing ,running, we just need to execute and move the football.

" Our goal is to score one more point than the other team. We go in trying to score as many points as we can

Forced to confront the fact that Samantha is not a little girl any more, Tony buys her her first bra. When it turns out not to be the kind she wanted, she asks if Angela can take her shopping. Tony is less than thrilled, however, when Samantha comes home looking a bit too grown up.

"Derryl Cousins (born August 18, 1946 in Fresno, California) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has umpired in the World Series in 1988, 1999 and 2005. He has also officiated in the All-Star Game in 1987, 1998 and 2008, and was behind the plate for the 2008 game at Yankee Stadium, which lasted a record 4 hours 50 minutes before ending in the 15th inning. He has worked in five American League Championship Series (1985, 1989, 1995, 2003, 2006), and in five Division Series (1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007). Cousins was promoted to crew chief for the 2008 season.

Cousins has worn uniform number 13 since the AL adopted them in 1980. Since he was called up to the AL during the 1979 umpires' strike, he was not allowed to join the Major League Umpires Association, the former umpires' union which was headed by Richie Phillips. He is currently a member of the World Umpires Association, the new collective bargaining union of MLB umpires since 2000.

Cousins was the home plate umpire for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres on August 4, 2007. In the top of the second inning at San Diego, Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 755th career home run off Clay Hensley, tying Hank Aaron for first all-time. Also, he was the third base umpire in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when Kirk Gibson hit his famous pinch-hit home run. Cousins also was the second base umpire in the last game in Yankee Stadium on September 22, 2008.

"TBS had experienced router failure in Atlanta, which caused transmission problems, Rays spokesman Dave Haller said.

TBS spokesman Jeff Pomeroy didn't immediately return a telephone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Major League Baseball spokesman Rich Levin said MLB was unaware there was a problem until the broadcast failed to come on the air. No consideration was given to delaying the start of the game because the starting pitchers already had warmed up, Levin said.

"ESPN analyst Lou Holtz apologized on air Saturday for mentioning Adolf Hitler during a college football studio show the previous night.

The former Notre Dame coach referenced Hitler while making a point about good and bad leadership during a discussion of the struggles of first-year Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez.

''Last night while trying to make a point about leadership, I made an unfortunate reference,'' Holtz said. ''It was a mistake and I sincerely apologize.''

An ESPN spokesman said Holtz will not be further disciplined.

• Texas hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown yet this year.
• Mizzou's last win in Austin came in 1896 (a 10-0 Tiger win).
• The Longhorns have won 13-of-14 meetings between UT and Mizzou dating back to 1931.
• Mizzou is 0-10 all time against teams ranked No. 1 in the nation.

• Missouri is 7-0 under coach Gary Pinkel after suffering their first loss of a season.
• 28 tigers are playing in their home state. This brings ... I don't know ... extra incentive?

"Adam "Pacman" Jones has entered an alcohol treatment facility in the Dallas area on an inpatient basis, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder on Thursday.

According to a report in the Dallas Morning News, which first reported that Jones had entered rehab, the NFL -- which suspended the Dallas Cowboys cornerback indefinitely following an alcohol-related scuffle last week with a bodyguard assigned to protect him -- required Jones to seek treatment.

Before this postseason started, I knew that Shane Victorino was from Hawaii and that he was fast. Over the past two series, it's become clear that he is the spark plug of a Philadelphia Phillies team that looks very capable of winning the World Series. He's an exciting player to watch, and his recent power surge had added yet another dimension to his dynamic game.

"After finding out Victorino's favorite food is SPAM musubi, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' Assistant Director Dan Shannon sent him a letter, calling for him to give up SPAM because its maker Hormel is under an animal cruelty investigation.

"Spam musubi is a very popular snack and luncheon food in Hawaii made in the tradition of Japanese onigiri, also known as a musubi. A Spam musubi is composed of a block of salted (not vinegared; that would be sushi) rice with a slice of Spam (cooked or uncooked) on top, and typically nori (dried seaweed) surrounding it to keep it in shape. It is the favorite food of Hawaiian baseball player Shane Victorino.

""This was our decision and based on the input and feedback from the fans," Rays president Matt Silverman said, according to the Tampa Tribune. "We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy this."

"During his appearance on Fox, Kalas introduced Pat Burrell as "The Bait," then said that was a story for another day. That day has come. Here's that tale: During Burrell's first few years with the club, before he was married, the older players used to command him to make appearances at the bar while the Phillies were on the road. They dangled him as "bait" to attract women.

"Can you imagine how many hearts Burrell has broken?" Kalas said.

****************

Also, Kalas can flat-out sing.

"Sen. Barack Obama is taking his presidential campaign somewhere no political campaign has gone before -- to video games.

The Obama camp has bought "billboard space" within nine video games, all from Electronic Arts: "Madden '09," "NBA Live '08," "Burnout Paradise," "Nascar 09," "Need For Speed Carbon," "Need For Speed Pro Street," "NFL on Tour," "NHL '09" and "Skate."

The virtual ads in the games are frequently updated with real advertising through online downloads. They feature a photo of the senator with text indicating early voting has begun and direct gamers to the Obama Web site voteforchange.com.

While I think this is a good start for Obama, it seems like he is missing a chance to tackle the issues that Madden gamers care about the most.

"Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Adam Jones of the Dallas Cowboys today that he is suspended indefinitely without pay as a result of his most recent violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.

"Jones will miss at least the next four games. Commissioner Goodell will determine the final length of the suspension following the Cowboys' Week 11 game against Washington on November 16. The decision on whether Jones can return to play will be based on Jones' strict compliance with his NFL and Dallas Cowboys treatment plans as well as on evaluations of Jones' progress that will be provided to Commissioner Goodell by clinical experts retained by the NFL. Jones was involved in an alcohol-related physical altercation at a Dallas hotel on October 8 that resulted in hotel employees calling the police. Commissioner Goodell in today's letter to Jones called it a continuation of "a disturbing pattern of behavior and clearly inconsistent with the conditions I set for your continued participation in the NFL.

"Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season for multiple violations of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. In reinstating Jones on August 28 of this year, Commissioner Goodell said that the player's participation in the NFL depends on demonstrating that he can conduct himself in a socially responsible manner, avoiding any other conduct that brings disrespect to himself, his team, or the NFL."

"We respect and support the decision of the commissioner. I regret that this issue has brought negative attention to the Cowboys and the NFL. We move forward with a very clear knowledge as to what the process will be for a possible re-instatement. Adam is well aware of where he stands and what he has to do."

"He wants to win," said cornerback Patrick Surtain, who was sent to the Chiefs in 2005 after asking Miami for a trade ...

"We're a very young team, and we knew we were going through some ups and downs this year. He doesn't feel he has many more years to play, and he wants an opportunity to win. Who can blame him? He has every record you could want individually, but he wants the chance to play for the Super Bowl.

"He feels he has a better chance somewhere else."

"Kevin Foster was never a superstar during a seven-year, 100-game major-league career.

''But he was a superstar human being,'' Foster's brother, Mark, said Monday. ''He loved baseball, he loved people and people loved him. He was a happy person who got along with everybody, and we will miss him.''

"They just told us. It's what he deserved," said senior quarterback Cullen Harper, who was benched after the Tigers' loss to Wake Forest loss and replaced by highly regarded sophomore Willy Korn. "Dabo Swinney is a fine man and will do an excellent job."

Harper struggled playing behind an inexperienced offensive line this season. His father, Jeff Harper, an offensive lineman on Georgia's 1980 national championship team, said Bowden's dismissal was justified.

"I'd call it karma," he said. "I thought it needed to be done. I think anytime a head coach or someone in a leadership position starts to place blame on his coaches and players, it weakens their respect on the team. His past experiences have shown he's done that."

"Wesley Korir, a Kenyan native and track and cross-country runner at the University of Louisville, was the fourth-place finisher Sunday, but he won't receive any prize money.

Korir did not start in the elite wave at 7:55 a.m., but rather with the remainder of the field at 8 a.m. U.S. Track and Field rules stipulate that all runners receiving prize money must have the same gun time so that no runner has an advantage.

This is the first year the race has used an earlier start for the elites. The problem was not anticipated, but according to race spokeswoman Marianne Caponi, because the race is under USATF's jurisdiction, it must adhere to the rules of that organization.

The fourth-place prize money of $15,000 went to fifth-place finisher Martin Lauret of the Netherlands.

Is it possible that Korir outperformed everyone and legitimately finished fourth? Did he hail a cab to shave off some time? Where does Rosie Ruiz stand on all of this?

"The 24-year-old rocketed to competitive-eating celebrity when he won Coney Island's July Fourth hot-dog eating contest in 2007. He took the title again this summer by gulping down 59 dogs in 10 minutes.

He won a contest in Tennessee last month by wolfing down 93 Krystal hamburgers in 8 minutes.

Mmmmmmm, records.

"They're not telling me anything right now," Johnston said as he checked his Blackberry. "It's pretty chill."

"He's dark haired, tall and muscular, sports a bit of stubble and drives a red Chevy Silverado truck. He'd be the perfect cover for Field & Stream."

"Wasilla hockey coach Bill Sturdevant, who was invited to the wedding, said he was sorry to hear Johnston wasn't going to return for his senior year of high school."

1. a person who settles on government land before it is legally opened to settlers in order to gain the choice of location.

2. a person who gains an unfair advantage by getting ahead of others.

"Former wide receiver Charles Rogers owes the Lions reportedly about $8.5 million because violating the NFL's substance abuse policy put him in default of his contract, an arbitrator has ruled.Now the Lions must go though the legal process of collecting from Rogers, who has been out of pro football since the Lions cut him before the 2006 season.

The Lions will receive salary cap credit for whatever they actually collect. But after the Lions originally filed their grievance in 2005, seeking more than $10 million, Rogers said: "It's going to be kind of hard to get 10." He laughed and added: "We'll see, man."

"Someone says, 'Listen, will you do me this favor? When you get there will you say 'hello' to somebody or will you pick up one of these for me?' 'Oh, you're going to Nazareth, do me a favor when you're there.' So the guy goes and one thing leads to another and it's like, 'Holy shit, what has this turned into? I've only come here to say 'hello' for somebody and I've got myself in this incredible predicament.'

"Kyle Orton? A career day? Then again, against our sad sacks, isn't that the norm? The Lions gave Atlanta rookie Matt Ryan a touchdown on his first NFL pass, gave Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay's eternal backup, a career afternoon, and gave their own castoff, J.T. O'Sullivan, his best day ever in San Francisco. Why not Orton?"