Recent Sports Illustrated Photos - CNNSI
NFC West: Impact Newcomers - Matt Leinart

NFC South: Impact Newcomers - Keyshawn Johnson

NFC South: Impact Newcomers - Reggie Bush

AFC South: Impact Newcomers - LenDale White

That's Show Biz - Keyshawn Johnson

Athletes as Musicians - Randy Johnson

College Sports No. 1 Fans - Snoop Dogg

College Sports No. 1 Fans - Will Farrell

Mike Williams fined more than $400,000 last year - Grand Rapids Press
Mike Williams signed a hefty contract with the Detroit Lions as a first-round draft pick last year, but the wide receiver was forced to give some of that money right back...

...Williams was fined more than $400,000 last year for violating team rules, mostly for arriving late to meetings and being overweight...

...According to terms of the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Lions could impose a maximum penalty of $457 per pound per day that Williams was overweight. Also, the team could fine a player $9,300 each time he was late for a meeting...

...Steve Mariucci imposed heavy fines to try to rectify the situation.

It apparently hasn't helped...

Still out to make the grade - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Jerry Dupree knows what you're thinking.

How can a guy who couldn't figure out a way to play at USC think he can play in the NBA?

"I know," said Dupree, a former standout at Moreno Valley Valley View High, after another win for his Play II Win free-agent team in the Summer Pro League. "They ask me that all the time."

It has been three years since Dupree failed to make it through his last academic shot at USC -- by a single point, just one letter grade...

But Dupree...says that doesn't mean he can't play at the next level...

With Eye On World Cup, Virginia Powell Ready To Resume Action In Stockholm - Track Profile
Newly crowned US 100m hurdles champion Virginia Powell has been conspicuous by her absence from this summer’s European circuit - by choice fortunately and not circumstance.

The 22-year-old rocked the athletics world June 9th when she set a collegiate record of 12.48 seconds in winning her second consecutive NCAA title in her specialty...

...Two weeks later she won her first USATF Championship...

...Powell graduated from USC this year with a degree in Public Policy and Public Management Planning and then promptly signed an endorsement contract with Nike. Her college coach...remains her mentor and she has a business advisor but so far she has shunned the approaches of various athlete agents preferring to contact meet directors herself by email...

Addicted to ideas - The Times
I am a sexy genius, you are witty, he is a smart-arse: science has discovered why we are addicted to trying to be clever — having bright ideas gives our brains a heroin-like fix.

A study in American Scientist argues that when we grasp a new concept it triggers a cascade of brain chemicals that rewards the brain with a shot of natural opium-like substances.

Put it down to Darwinism. “Human beings are designed to be ‘infovores’,” says Irving Biederman, a neuroscientist at the University of Southern California. He argues that we have evolved to get high whenever we have witty ideas because having something smart to say at parties gives us a big social head-start when attracting sexual mates...

Riders hold job interview - Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Size or speed? The Saskatchewan Roughriders have to decide if they want to replace Jamel Richardson, their leading receiver, with speedy Kareem Kelly or burly Sam Breeden.

"One's a bit quicker than the other one's a bit bigger and more physical," receivers coach Tim Kearse said...

..."I've been patiently waiting my turn," said Kelly. "Now I've got the opportunity to show the coaches, to show the world, to show everyone in Saskatchewan that I'm a player, that I belong here. My biggest asset is my speed. That's what I have going for myself -- my routes and my ability to catch the ball downfield. There can be some mismatches in the game, but right now we're focusing on the small things...

Bush has it covered - Biloxi Sun-Herald
...Bush will make an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated when it hits newsstands this week. Fantasy football is the focus of this week's issue and Bush will be featured as a player worth the risk in drafting.

"I don't think there is a more interesting and intriguing story in football today than Reggie Bush," said SI spokesman Rick McCabe.

McCabe said putting a rookie on the cover of a fantasy football edition isn't the norm. But Bush's potential makes him one of the most talked about fantasy players going into the 2006 season.

Bush is no stranger when it comes to being the cover boy for Sports Illustrated. The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner graced the magazine's cover three times during his highlight-filled career at the University of Southern California. This will be his fourth overall appearance and first as a pro...

Also, DOTTED-LINE DANCE - New Orleans Times Picayune
Saints' top pick Bush likely to hold out - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
DO RIGHT MEN: REGGIE BUSH - Essence

[Dilbeck] 'The Steamer' was one of a kind - LA Daily News
...Bud Furillo was an original. He worked hard, played hard, drank hard, lived hard.

He was an absolute character. Equal parts moodiness and brilliance, old-school and innovator, teacher and celebrity, wild and serious.

He was all sports journalist. Ink flowed in his veins, even years after he left as sports editor of the old Herald-Examiner to devote his full attention to sports radio...

...None were closer to his heart than USC football; he was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He spent five decades covering sports in L.A...

Also, Bud Furillo, 80; Covered Southland Sports - LA Times
[Keisser] Many are better off for Furillo - Long Beach Press-Telegram
[Keisser] Newspaper, radio icon, Furillo, dies - Long Beach Press-Telegram

2006 Preseason Rankings - College Football News
...1. USC Predicted Finish: 11-1...

...There isn't a more talented roster in America with a who's who of high school all-stars brought in by Pete Carroll...but there are big things to worry about...Even with all the question marks, the Trojans should be in the mix for yet another national title appearance thanks to great coaching, great players, and a great schedule that's tailor-made for a championship...

...Relative Strengths: receiver, linebacker
Relative Weaknesses: secondary, special teams

Ten Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time - College Football News
...Fiutak...2. Matt Leinart, USC...Talk about your money players, the guy went 39-2 as a starter, completed 70 of 109 passes for 1,024 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception in his three bowl games. He won a Heisman, was in the mix for another, won a BCS national title, two AP national titles, and was the leader of one of the great runs in the history of college football...

...Cirminiello...1. Matt Leinart, USC (2003-05) – Cackle if you must, but I defy you to find a more accomplished quarterback in the history of college football...he had a near-perfect career, making this a clear choice...

...Harris...2. Matt Leinart, USC – Transcendent moment – 4th and 9, fourth quarter, less than 2 minutes left at Notre Dame – the audible to the “sluggo” route to Dwayne Jarrett, to be followed by the QB sneak for six...

Athlon Sports 2006 USC Preview - Athlon Sports
...This is the only school in America that could say goodbye to a Matt Leinart and a Reggie Bush, wish good luck to the likes of LenDale White, Winston Justice and Darnell Bing and still be confident of competing for a national championship.

This is coach Pete Carroll's year to re-load, and before anyone feels too sorry for him, understand that the two players vying to replace Leinart were both regarded as the top prep quarterback in America their senior years. Bush, like Leinart, will be missed, but there's a roll-call list of young, highly regarded runners anxious to win the job at tailback.

This is a team that went 37-2 the past three seasons, with both of those losses coming by three points. Enough quality players return, buoyed by a string of recruiting classes regarded among the finest in the country, to give USC another shot at being in the middle of the BCS mix...

Eagles sign 2d draft pick - Philly Inquirer
...Team president Joe Banner and his fellow contract negotiator, Howie Roseman, do have a different deadline, however, because the Eagles will be the first team to open training camp when rookies and selected veterans report Thursday evening to Lehigh University.

Winston Justice, the team's second-round pick out of Southern Cal, became the latest player to get a deal done when he agreed to a four-year contract with the Eagles worth $3.71 million. The deal includes a $2.1 million signing bonus and minimum base salaries over the life of the deal.

"It was important for Winston and his family that the deal be completed before the start of camp, as it is for every rookie," said Gary Uberstine, the agent who negotiated the deal for Justice. "Nobody wants to start off on the wrong foot."...

Also, Eagles ink Justice to four-year contract - Trenton Times
Eagles seek, sign Justice - Allentown Morning Call
Second-round pick Justice signs - Bucks County Courier-Times

Cashing in on his dreams - Stockton Record
When Stockton native Chris Cash shares his life story, he can say with conviction that anything is possible - if you apply your mind, body and spirit...

...The former Franklin High standout and current Atlanta Falcons cornerback has beaten the odds personally and professionally. He overcame physical problems as a child, the trappings of drugs and the violence of gangs that were rampant in his neighborhood...

...Cash likes to quote a motto from the 2002 NFL rookie symposium...

..."Choices, decisions, consequences," he said. "There are good choices and bad choices, which are you going to choose? The consequences come from the decisions you make."...

[Adande] Running Commentary From a Heisman Winner - LA Times
The two images and accompanying thoughts are stuck in my mind, snapshots from Heisman Trophy-winning seasons spaced 10 years apart.

One was a vision of Reggie Bush effortlessly breaking away from a crowd and sprinting downfield, followed by the realization that you can't tackle Reggie Bush by yourself. The first guy on the scene never does.

The other goes back to 1995, as I stood on the sidelines at an Ohio State practice and watched Eddie George emerge from the backfield and head my way. As he grew closer and closer...it seemed as if he should be wearing license plates, not a uniform number...

...Their styles were completely different. While Bush is the perfect cover boy for the newest NCAA football video game (some of his moves could be pulled off only with cheat codes), George was about as dazzling as Pong...

Lutui signs 4-year deal - Arizona Republic
Deuce Lutui signed his first professional contract Tuesday, a four-year deal that will give the Cardinals depth on the offensive line and comic relief in the locker room.

All is good, said Lutui, the team's second-round pick, a guard out of Southern California. A childhood dream has come true. "I'm officially a Cardinal," he said...

...Asked how he planned to celebrate, the 6-foot-4, 338-pounder laughed and said, "With a buffet, my friend."...

Also, Lutui officially in fold, signs four-year deal - East Valley Tribune

2006 CFN All-America - College Football News
...QB Honorable Mention: John David Booty, Jr. USC...

...Wide Receivers First Team: Dwayne Jarrett, Jr. USC...

...Wide Receivers Honorable Mention: Steve Smith, Sr. USC...

...Centers Second Team: Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC...

...Offensive Tackles Second Team: Sam Baker, Sr. USC...

...Defensive Ends Second Team: Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC...

...Defensive Tackles Honorable Mention: Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC...

2006 CFN Redshirt Freshman All-America Team - College Football News
...QB Mark Sanchez, USC – He may not start a game in 2006, but then again, Sanchez could also leapfrog John David Booty and blossom into one of the premier pro-style quarterbacks in the country. He’s got that much ability and, hands down, is the most talented redshirt freshman at the position...

...Charles Brown looks like USC’s edition of Erik Winston, the former Miami tight end that became a force at tackle. Brown is still a little light, but the coaches are in awe of his athleticism...

Dwayne Jarrett assumes role of playmaker at USC - Athlon Sports
There are no wide receivers in the nation who make more of an impact on a game than Dwayne Jarrett...

...As a sophomore last fall, Jarrett led the nation with 16 touchdown catches, but his biggest catch, and arguably his signature play so far, didn’t go for a touchdown. It was a 61-yard catch-and-run on fourth and nine with less than a minute to play setting up the winning touchdown against Notre Dame. It was his career-long catch.

In addition to his heroics in South Bend, Jarrett was a bright spot in SC’s narrow loss to Texas in the Rose Bowl with 10 catches for 121 yards and a score. He finished the 2005 season as a consensus All-American.

Jarrett is 6’5” and mind-numbingly athletic...

Even at 89, Zamperini still has life on the run - Daily Breeze
Louis Zamperini, the legendary miler/war hero from Torrance and USC, long ago proved he could go the distance.

Fresh out of Torrance High, where he set national records that lasted for years, he made the 1936 Olympic team in the 5,000-meter run and finished eighth at the Berlin Games. His best years were certainly ahead of him, as he proved while twice winning the NCAA mile (1938-39) and setting a national college record (4:08.3) that lasted 15 years.

Unfortunately for Zamperini, World War II ended his track career just when he might have evolved into the best miler in the world. But he proved his staying power and greatness in another way during the war...

[Sobhani] Mr. Irrelevant - CNNSI
...Mr. Irrelevant: the last guy picked in the NFL Draft.

Each year, the owner of this dubious distinction is roasted, toasted and feted in a week-long fiesta in Newport Beach, Calif. that has come to be known as "Irrelevant Week."

The concept of irrelevance is something we can all relate to, especially former USC split end-turned-community-philanthropist and businessman Paul Salata, who created this tribute to obscurity. "It's always been that a few stars get the attention and they always have something nice to say about their supporting cast," said Salata. "So I figured those people were important, too."...

[Corso] Jackets can beat Irish - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
...Lee Corso is set to begin his 53rd season as a player, coach or television analyst. Corso...sat down with the Journal-Constitution's Tony Barnhart and gave us 10 predictions for the 2006 season...

...4. USC's dynasty isn't over yet.

The Trojans lost Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, but they have had the No. 1 recruiting class three out of the last four years. Two USC quarterbacks (Carson Palmer, Leinart) have won the Heisman over the past four seasons. Mark Sanchez will be the next great SC quarterback...

Kirtman signs with Seahawks - Seattle Times
Fullback David Kirtman, the Seahawks' fifth-round draft selection this past spring, signed a four-year contract with the Seahawks, the team announced Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Kirtman, a Mercer Island native who played at USC, is the Seahawks' second draft choice to sign this offseason. He joins punter Ryan Plackemeier, the first of the team's two seventh-round picks.

"I'm excited and ready to get some pads on," Kirtman said...

Hold the eulogies, he's not ready to sign off yet - Boston Globe
...Art Buchwald took another spoonful of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate sauce. A foghorn sounded in the distance...

...Last winter, Buchwald's right leg was amputated, his kidneys were failing, and doctors told him he would die unless he consented to dialysis.

Buchwald, the famously contrarian political columnist, refused. He checked into a Washington hospice and prepared for the grave. Friends wrote eulogies...

...Two weeks, a month, then five months passed, and Buchwald did not die. His health improved, baffling his doctors. And on July 1, he walked out the door. Only about 1 in 10 American hospice patients ever leaves alive. Now, Buchwald is back in the place he loves most, struck anew by the gift of life...

Indio's Lua stays grounded despite his many successes - Desert Sun
Oscar Lua isn't resting on his laurels.

Even though the 22-year-old Indio High School graduate played in the 2006 Rose Bowl and is consistently ranked among the nation's best middle linebackers, he's not waiting around for an NFL team to come calling with a million-dollar contract.

"I'm going to have something to fall back on," he said.

Lua just earned his bachelor's degree in urban planning and development from the University of Southern California. He plans to return next year for his master's at USC and will play football in the fall.

Last week, he was inducted into the Indio Youth Hall of fame...