Just another mundane Monday...

Some quick hit thoughts from a weekend of football watching, observing human beings and training for the first annual Redskins Sporting Clays Challenge...

**Is it just me, or are 95% of college kickers terrible? It seems to be a problem every year, hell, every week, with Saturday's star pupil being Auburn kicker John Vaughn, who missed 5 field goals against LSU. 5!!! I simply don't understand why coaching staffs don't make some sort of effort in the offseason to try to recruit a decent kicker, rather than assume they can find a kicker on the quad after soccer season ends or half-ass the recruiting of some kid their old fishing buddy suggested. I'm not saying a head coach needs to be making this visit (though in Bobby Bowden's case I think he should look for an 18 year old Lou Groza every year), but at least assign one coach to scout and recruit a kid who consistently makes field goals in high school (or community college). I mean, it can be done...there have been good college kickers...Jets draft pick Mike Nugent or Nate Kaeding or even Sebastian Janikowski come to mind...but it sure seems from week to week that I could grab a kid in facepaint out of the stands and he has about the same chance to make a 35 yarder as half of the 119 Division 1A kickers. And yes, before I get the "If you think it's so easy, you try to kick field goals" response - that's not what I'm saying. Obviously, my leg would fall off on the first attempt...I'm just saying I don't think teams try hard enough to get even a decent kicker (especially teams consistently in the mix for a BCS championship). It might be a good idea...ask Tommy Tuberville about it today.

**After watching Vince Young and Texas dismantle jolly old Mike Leach and Texas Tech, and seeing the highlights of the always fantastic Reggie Bush, I am willing to concede the Heisman Trophy is going to one of those two guys (well, at least for this week - out of the corner of my eye my boy Maurice Drew still might have a say in this thing). HOWEVAH, take a look at these three signal callers (only 1 of which is up for the Davey O'Brien Award), and tell me who you would take:

--Quarterback A - 145-of-224 passing (64.7 percent), 2,148 yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 17 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs
--Quarterback B - 175-of-266 passing (65.8 percent), 2,352 yards, 20 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 88 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
--Quarterback C - 179-of-265 passing (67.5 percent), 2,181 yards, 12 touchdowns, 1 interceptions, 268 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs

QB A (the only one on the DOB list) happens to be Matt Leinart, of USC and shagging Shannen Doherty fame. Very solid numbers for the defending Heisman winner, but in my homer opinion, he's currently trumped by QB B, the Golden Boy of the Golden Dome, Brady Quinn, who tossed 6 TDs on Saturday (and his 2005 numbers are even more absurd when compared to his pedestrian, pre-Weis career stats). But the real reason I threw these numbers up there was for QB C, who is the most underrated player in the country (and having a better season than QB A or QB B) - Brett Basanez of 5-2 Northwestern (3-1 in Big Ten play). Not only do these guys seem to play the noon game every Saturday on ESPN2 (Hi Pam Ward!), but they also seem to play one of the most exciting games each week, and they're winning most of them because of Basanez. Here's hoping the now ranked Wildcats and Basanez give Michigan a run for their money Saturday night.

**A Tale of Two QBs, NFL edition (specifically NFC East): I'm not saying the Giants are going to win the NFC East (I never would have thought I'd be psyched for a Skins/Giants Week 8 game), but with Eli Manning at the helm they certainly have a great shot (yep, I'm ignoring the Eagles in this equation, I know). Quite a 4th quarter from a 2nd year kid, with tremendous throws under pressure, and tremendous poise after an INT that could've crushed the comeback. Which gets me to the other QB in this tale, the absolutely dreadful Drew Bledsoe. If you haven't seen the pick Drew through with 10 seconds left in regulation against the Seahawks, then you missed the single worst pass I have ever seen. It took 7 weeks, but that's the Drew everyone was waiting for, and it was even more abortive than expected (call it a "Category 7" if you will). Eli gives Giants fans a reason to believe they're winning the NFC East and making a move in the playoffs. Drew Bledsoe has Dallas fans still shaking their heads as to how the hell a 13 year NFL veteran can throw a worse ball than Alex Smith did all day (ok, I wanted to call it the worst pass in the history of the NFL, but then the ghost of Garo Yepremian appeared in my cube). I'm willing to bet Bill Parcells would like to hit Drew upside the head with a 9 iron today. Bledsoe made Aaron Brooks look like Joe Montana Sunday.

**I am in no way a fashion expert (everyone will vouch for that). I try to survive each day matching my blues/blacks/browns, but even I know a fashion travesty when I see it. There is no reason to ever wear a XXL football jersey to a restaurant...ever. If the eatery was called, oh, Popeyes or something, maybe...maybe. But if you're headed to a normal, "sit down and have a waiter serve you" restaurant, please keep the jersey in mothballs...even I think you look ridiculous. And I'm the guy with an OJ Simspon jersey.

**I hope to actually discuss this ignored World Series later today, but in light of what Scott Podsednik did last night, I felt it was my civic duty to show you how hot his girlfriend is. Tough life for this guy.

Finally, as if I didn't have enough fantasy teams, I give you the fantasy league to end all fantasy leagues (no, not the Martha Stewart crap I threw up awhile back). Early money is on Butt as 2006 Champ.