The SI Cover Show: College Football Edition

First Smith and Street/The Sporting News released all of its covers for their college football previews, now Sports Illustrated is at it.

In the order that SI predicts they will finish:

1. Georgia2. Ohio State3. USC
4. Missouri 5. Florida

The Cover Story: NFL Version

The NFL Season is almost here and that can only one thing preview magazines. Here are the covers from the different editions of the Sporting News NFL Preview.

Missouri edition

Rocky Mountain Edition

Bay Area edition

Arizona edition

New Orleans edition

Florida edition

Indianapolis edition

Wisconsin/Minnesota edition

Texas edition

New England edition

New York City edition

Pennsylvania edition

Beltway edition

South version

Sometimes people are wrong

What do Zac Wasserman, Jon Van Cleave, Ryan O'Hara (pictured above), Robert Lane, and Mike Affleck all have in common?

At one point they where all the talk of college football coach, they all attended the well known Elite 11 QB Camp in California. The event, celebrated its 10th anniversary, provides the nation's top high school quarterbacks with high-level instruction by the best in the business, making it the nation's premier quarterback camp for prep athletes. The Elite 11 was held in Southern California July 21-24.

All five attend major schools ranging from Penn State to Arizona but did not impressed some even dropping down to schools like LA Valley Community College and Central Oklahoma.

A look at the list of players that has attended the camp reads like a train wreck of players that did not live up to their billing. Let's hope players like Thomas Savage, Garrett Gilbert and the rest of this years quarterbacks that attended the camp make out better then Roman Ybarra, yes he attended the camp too.

Thoughts from the 2008 Emirates Cup

As the season gets closer teams are wrapping up their preseason training. One of the biggest preseason events is the Emirates Cup. This year the cup featured host Arsenal, Hamburg HSV, Juventus, and Real Madrid over the weekend.

Here are some thoughts about the two day event.

• Hamburg's young mid fielder Jonathan Pitoipa looks like he is going to have a break out year in Germany this year.
• Can we please have names on the back of the shirts, Real Madrid.
• I did not know that Javier Saviola was still at Madrid.
• As a United fan Arsenal scares me the most, it just seems like they have players coming out of everywhere.
• Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, the baby of Wenger's group, reminds me of a young Scholes minus the ginger hair of course.
• Juve's gold road jerseys might be one of the worst looking in all of Europe.
• Theo Walcott might be the most improve player in the EPL this year.
• Despite the loss of Van der Vaart Hamburg is still going to play some attractive soccer.

Happy Testimonial, Ole

With United celebrating the career of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his testimonial, its only right that we honor him at Only Time Will Tell. The baby faced assassin brought some many memories to United fans and just think that Ole was a fall back cause Fergie could not Alan Shearar, wow that worked out really well. Thanks again Gunner

The Great Escape Game

So Ronaldo, who think that United treat him like a slave, wants to leave the champions of Europe for a team that can not get out of the Round of 16 of the Champions League, for what reason I have no idea.

The folks over at Mousebreakers have developed a game that allows Ronaldo to try to get pass Sir Alex and head for the Spanish capital, but if you do not escape Sir Alex will be their with the hair dyer treatment.

Bye Bye Manny

The Major League Baseball trade deadline came and went yesterday and future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez changed cost.

Here is how some of today's papers in Boston and LA covered the move:

LA Times

La Opinion (LA) Boston Herald

Cape Cod Times (Mass.)

Telegram and Gazette (RI)

The New Breed

With college football teams reporting for practice all over the country, there is always talk about which true freshman will make the biggest impact during the season. After watching countless hours of tapes and games, thanks to Fox College Sports, the Only Time Will Tell Scouting Department has developed a list of freshman that will make the biggest impact this year.

1. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

2. Darrell Scott, RB, Colorado

3. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

4. DaQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson

5.Marcus Forston, DT, Miami

Video of someones Top Ten Freshman for the upcoming season

The Fat Man produces good baseball players

Two years ago, the offensive genius of the Fat Man at Notre Dame was being shown. Brady Quinn was throwing touchdown passes to Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija and running back Darius Walker was running for touchdown.

Fast forward and who have ever thought that the biggest impact that this group has had in professional sports would come in baseball.

With Kerry Wood on the DL Sweet Lou has called on Samardzija to be one of the major cogs in the Cubs bull pen. That is a lot more then can be said for the other members of the record setting offense.

Quinn can not beat out starter Derek Anderson for the job in Cleveland, Walker is trying to get playing time with the Texans, and McKnight is nowhere to be found. At least Charlie can produce good professionals at one sport

Ocho Cinco loves the Leões

Bengals receiver Chad Johnson reported to training camp yesterday sporting the finest in Portuguese soccer wear. Ocho Cinco sported a Sporting Lisbon shirt yesterday as he checked into training camp. No word on if Johnson feels that Sporting was wrong for rejecting a 11.8 pound bid from Everton for Sporting midfielder Joao Moutinho.

Dream A Little Dream

Alex Hleb's dream was to play for Barca.
Ronaldinho dreamed of playing for AC Milan.
Deco dreamed of playing for Chelski.
Dani Alves dreamed of playing in the blue and red Barca shirt.
Arshavin's dream is to swap Zenit for Barca.
Ronnie dreams of playing for Real Madrid.
Drogba dreams of playing for a different team every week.

So far the limited transfer market can be described in a couple of worlds: Dream a little dream. Every summer players put on their new shirts and talk about how much of a dream it is to play for their new team. This year that is no different.

It's funny how money can make you dream things. I'm sure that Samuel Eto'o dream to play in Uzbekistan. That dream might not be that far away.

It's almost time for College Football

The season is almost here and college football preview magazines line the shelves of Boarders and Barnes and Noble. Here are all of the covers from around the country for the most famous preview magazine, Smith and Street, now run by the Sporting News.

Pacific Northwest

LA Region

Chicago Region

Ohio Valley Region

Great Lakes Region

Prairie Region

Oklahoma Region

Alabama Region

LSU Region

Florida Region

Texas Region

Pittsburgh Region

Virginia Region

Nashville Region

Atlanta Region

Mascot Madness: Roasted Duck

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks have played some great hockey the last couple of years, but their mascot needs to learn how to jump over fire or it will be roasted duck for all.

Welcome to Hell

If you thought the rivalry between the Cowboys and Eagles was bad just check out the biggest Derby in Turkey: Galatasary v. Fenerbahce. A couple of years ago the English Television show the International Football Factories takes you inside the war between the two sets of firms.

Part I

Part II


Part III


Part IV


Part V


Take that Souness, Rambo


The Stadium is burning

I think I need a new team

Sometime being a fan can be one of the most difficult things in the world and make you question why you still take the effort to root for a team. This summer the Washington Nationals have made me question why I root for them, just look at there great record.

As a fan of the franchise since its days in Montreal, friends and family have always wonder why would I root for a team that is always out of the race by July. My response was always ""I like the way they develop players.""

While they were in Montreal the Expos develop great players like Wetland, Rojas, Alou, Walker, Grissom, Vlad, and Martinez. But since their move to the nation's capital that has not been the case.

The approach now appears to have left its roots and turn to signing terrible players like our only all star Christian Guzman. So please Jim Bowden spend some time developing great players like we did in Montreal or Joe Wolf Vertical Jump will have to start to look for a new team support, any suggestions anyone.

It's almost time

If this does not get you excited about the up coming season nothing will, hot chicks and angry classical music, Sky Sports always get it right.

Aug. 10, it all gets rolling with the Community Shield, then the EPL starts Aug. 16. Can not wait.

Champion Again

Coming into British Open, Padraig Harrington did not know if he was going to be able to defend his title because of a sore wrist, but come Sunday afternoon Harrington outlasted everyone including the course and elements to repeat as the "Champion Golfer."

Here are how some papers on the other side of the pond covered the events:

The Daily Telegraph (UK)

The Irish Examiner

SEC Players are costing baseball teams mad money

Drafting players that might play football in the SEC is getting a little expensive. From Casey Kelly to Xavier Avery Major League Baseball teams drafting two sports talents that are slated to go to the best football conference are paying through the nose.

Just this week, Kelly, who was slated to be the quarterback of the future of at Heath Shuler's old school, signed a contract with the Red Sox that calls for a $3 million signing bonus, approximately $1.8 million more that major league baseball slots for the slot where he was taken. Then the tight spending Nationals give Dustin Hood, a four star recruited from Alabama slated to go to his home state school, a $1.1 million signing bonus. The slated signing bonus for the 55th spot in the draft is $726,000.

Earlier in the summer, the Orioles signed second-round outfielder Xavier Avery (pictured), who was bound to play for Quincy Carter old school as a running back, for $900,000 and the Athletics signed 10th-round outfielder Rashun Dixon, who was bound for the land of cowbells in Starkville, for $600,000.

So next June when Major League Baseball Teams are looking for the next great player that is signed on to play football at an SEC school, be prepared to open that check book up wide.