If you had asked me a year ago

.... to list the places I would feel the most uncomfortable I would've given you the following answers: The audience during a taping of the MTV show Wild 'n Out, a bar or club geared at people of an alternative life style, any strip club during the NBA's All Star Weekend, the back of a plane, and in the crowd at a NASCAR race. How quickly things change. Just one year later, I'd absolutely love to go to a taping of Wild 'n Out. And I'm looking forward to my first NASCAR race in Vegas two weeks from today.

It is not often that I am moved by an article but I couldn't help but get a little choked up reading this piece about "America's Quarterback." When I heard that Brett was retiring for good, my first question was would the NFL continue playing games without their Golden Boy? Why should this country even have a professional football league without Brett Favre? It seems pointless to me but apparently they are going to keep it going. I guess it's for people like Ed who simply couldn't live without the savage ballet that is pro football. I just want to be on record that I am in no way looking forward to my first NFL season without #4 winging passes into tight crowds for no apparent reason. The NFL will never be the same. Nothing will ever be the same.

It sounds like they are pushing back the start of the Daytona 500 due to rain, so I guess I can blog out a few more dumb thoughts:

* I admit I don't follow the NBA as closely as the Shermans and Hoffmans of the world but can someone explain to me how Kevin Durant is not in the All-Star game? Doesn't the league want its young guns to be featured in its biggest games? I'm sure if there was an All-Star game for sharp sports bettors, Chris Bennett would be a mortal lock.... to come off the bench behind Scotty.

* No mention of Jorgen in this space lately. I just haven't talked to the kid in a long time. What am I supposed to do? I can't just make up material. There's nothing there. Okay, fine. He's Swedish. He's from Iowa. He (usually) carries with him a red bag, which a jackass might describe as a man purse. He and his wife Amanda will probably name their first born son Gunnar. Or Sven. Or Anders. Or, sure - Yorgen Yunior. He may or may not be Chris Bennett's long lost half-brother. He probably is.

We good on the Jorgen stuff for today?

Good.

* Speaking of CB, the other day he was going on and on about how much he loves those True Life shows on MTV. (Or maybe that was me. I really can't remember. It doesn't matter.) I had mentioned that before I came to work that day I was watching "True Life - I'm a Nuyorican" which was about Puerto Rican people who live in New York City and apparently call themselves Nuyoricans. It was terrible. But it did give me some ideas on future True Life eps I would like to watch. Who wouldn't be interested in watching the following:

- "True Life: I'm a douchebag from New Jersey who flies off the handle for no reason." I think they have done this one like three times already but I'd watch it again.

- "True Life: I go to a tanning bed 5 times a week." They did this one already, too. It was called True Life: I'm a Long Island Girl. It worked. It would work again.

- "True Life: I am better than you. At everything." I don't think they have done this one yet. It would be really easy. Just find a few kids from the Midwest and follow them around with a camera for a few weeks. Exceedingly watchable.

- "True Life: I am too busy to watch True Life. Or read your blog. Or do anything for that matter." The camera follows Jeff around for a few weeks and we find out exactly why he's too busy to do anything. It would be a whirlwind hour that everyone could enjoy.

- "True Life" I'm a Las Vegas stripper." I'd just like to know what those skanks are doing when they're not in Hoffman's lap or answering his text messages.

Or doing drugs.

* In other news, the blog is attempting to put together a baseball handicapping contest for the upcoming season. I haven't worked out all the kinks yet but basically what you will do is post your actual day to day baseball bets in your blog and whoever finishes with the highest number of "Units" at the end of the season is the winner. Obviously, it will be hard to post all your plays before the games start every day. Therefore, you can retroactively post what you bet. However, if another contestant feels that you are lying about a bet, he can throw a Coaches Challenge flag and you must either prove to that person that you did in fact make that bet or be docked 10 units. I know that for guys like CB and Hoffy, making up 10 units would take about one decent afternoon, but for the rest of us that would be tough to overcome. Each contestant gets three coaches challenges before and after the All-Star break. If you challenge and you are wrong, you lose a unit.

I'd like to have everyone put up money into a pool that the winner collects at the end of the season. Obviously, certain sharps will have to lay odds to level the playing field against mere sharp squares like yours truly. For instance, let's say that we have 6 people in the field including CB. To make things fair, the other 5 people will put up $100 each, and Chris will put up $1 million.

If there is enough interest in this contest (And enough of you figure out how to start a blog) I will even create a bettable future pool of all the contestants and do head-to-head match ups. For instance, Bennett -10 billion vs. Me. Not sure what the split is on that but I'll get back to you. Let me know who wants to be down on the Blog's First Annual Baseball Challenge.... Cup.

For the record, the blog is backing the Oakland A's this year. Thanks to a tip from a certain sharp's sharp.

The Daytona 500 is about to start. I'm outta here.



Enjoy the race.