Fun Time + Some News

I'm just not up to reporting the speculative news today, but would rather have a little fun. There are a couple of news item we'll relay in a few, but first: some fun stuff.

Many NFL teams were named after the existing baseball teams in the same city. For example, over the years there have been NFL teams with the following names:

• Boston Braves
• Brooklyn Dodgers
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Indians
• Detroit Tigers
• New York Yankees
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• and, of course, the New York Giants

One team that appeared to have been named after their baseball counterpart was the Saint Louis Cardinals. However, as we told you in an earlier post the Cardinals got their name from the color of their jerseys back when they were still the Racine St. Cardinals in Chicago.

On the other hand, one team that was named after the baseball team doesn't appear to be. In 1922 when George Halas purchased the Chicago Staleys, he basically renamed the team after the Cubs but with an interesting twist. Since football players were generally larger than baseball players he decided to supersize the Cubs, the result, the Chicago Bears.

OK, on to some news:

"They don't call it The Mistake on the Lake for nothing"

• Another great player has fallen prey to the Cleveland Curse. Over the years, great players have come in to C town only to see their careers take a major hit. The latest, Jeff Garcia who after one rather disastrous season with the Browns seems to be able to do no better than 2nd string. Garcis was offered the backup spot to Jake Plummer by the Broncos on Saturday and is now considering a backup position to Brian Griese in Tampa Bay. Hey Jeff, we know you would like to play under John Gruden but come on, you're still one of the tops in the league.

"Well at least the city is a little less windy now"

• Outspoken Bears WR David Terrell has been released, something most experts felt was inevitable after the signing of Muhsin Muhammad by Chicago.

"And on you way out can you grab the trash?"

• Tampa Bay has notified Super Bowl XXXVII winning QB Brad Johnson that he is going to be released this week.