Coming tomorrow: A summary of our July numbers, which are again up, and a look at five NFL teams on the cusp ... of something. 

Next week, we'll talk more about Brett Favre -- who's excited?! -- and delve deeper into the top rivalries in college football.

THE PROS

The Favre zone: The Packers offer him cash not to play, and now the team is considering a deal within the division. I'm souring on management's handling of this. ... Yes, the Vikings might be the only option. ... At least Packers defensive lineman Aaron Kampman is honest: He wants it to end.

A quick disclaimer: Nick's wife just had twins, and he's a little ornery. While ESPN most certainly does suck, I think Nick's main point -- that ESPN is symbolic of all that is wrong in this world -- gets taken out on Valdosta, Ga.

If you live in Valdosta, or are a Valdosta native, and are reading this, please take the above two things into consideration.

By Nick Seuberling
Seubs@pigskinpodcast.com

Columbus, Detroit, Green Bay, Chicago. ... Valdosta, Ga.? More on this in a moment.

But first ...

I swear to God, if Pardon the Interruption wasn't on ESPN, I'd rarely tune into the network. The only leading ESPN is doing these days is the oversaturation of coverage on the Brett Favre situation.

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

No coach on the face of this earth, no matter the sport, wants to hear his or her name associated with the word "hot seat" unless they're asked to be a special guest for that one special segment on Sportscenter. 

The NFL offers us a great deal of surprises every year, and each year there are at least a few coaching changes for a bunch of different reasons. Today, I'll take a look at three different coaches wo are at a boiling point with their respective teams, and explain why this year, could be the year they are fighting for their jobs.

Brian and Joel chat with Dave Cariello from Canal Street Chronicles, a New Orleans Saints web site, about the Jeremy Shockey trade, Reggie Bush, the Saints' redone defense and more.

The guys also debated the top rivalries in college football.

Direct download [3.9 MB]

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

After looking at the first 12 games of the Browns' 2008 season, I see them at 6-6. Given the tough schedule of the Steelers and the problems with the rest of the division's teams, that should put them right in the middle of the division race. Can they win nine games and go to the playoffs for the first time since 2002? Let's find out.

GAME 13: at TENNESSEE

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: This is another game for which Browns fans will be ready. Most of them feel Cleveland was superior to the Titans team that made the playoffs last season; the Browns might have been better, but they also lost to a terrible Bengals team and played horribly doing it. They didn't deserve to make the playoffs.

Coming tomorrow: Dave Cariello from Canal Street Chronicles breaks down the Saints' improved defense, Reggie Bush's status and the Jeremy Shockey trade, while Brian and Joel debate some of college football's most storied rivalries.

Be sure to tune in!

THE PROS

The Augusta Greenjackets are using Brett Favre's indecision to their advantage.

Brian and Joel chat with DoubleTNation.com's Seth Jungman, who tells us whether or not his Texas Tech Red Raiders can possibly live up to the hype bestowed upon them by the national media a month before the season starts.

Additionally, the guys make their picks for the toughest division in the NFL.

Direct download [4.4 MB]

Coming next week: Seth Jungman from Double T Nation will talk with us about Texas Tech and the Big XII, and Dave Cariello from Canal Street Chronicles will share his insights on the New Orleans Saints.

Don't miss 'em!

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

In yesterday's blog, I explicated exactly why I think the Cowboys will fall flat on their face in 2008, a year in which fans and media alike have big expectations for "America's Team."

They won't fail because of talent.

I added up Dallas' totals from ESPN.com's positional power rankings (Insider content, so you'll have to trust me), and they averaged a 5.67 in nine categories: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, secondary and special teams.

Thanks to more server issues, the link is after the jump.

But first things first:

Tomorrow: More from me on the NFL.

Next week: Seth Jungman from Double T Nation on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and another guest and show to be determined.

Be sure to tune in!

One last quick note: If you haven't heard or seen, check out the first digital sports daily newspaper, The Sporting News Today. You can subscribe, for free, at that link.

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

Let's get this out of the way now: I've never been a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys.

Whether it was my uncles' obnoxious ways of supporting them when the family all still lived in the same town, or their dominance of Green Bay - until 1996, of course! - I hated 'em.

I don't hate the team nearly as much now as I did then, despite Dallas' Thursday night win last season; actually, I kind of like Tony Romo -- I especially like his girlfriend -- and I've long defended Terrell Owens against his naysayers. (At one point, I urged the Pack to sign T.O.)

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Months ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Jeremy Shockey would be traded during the offseason. Suddenly, those rumors died after the draft, until the Giants and Saints finally pulled the trigger on the deal, which has sent -- pun intended -- shockwaves throughout the NFC South.

There isn't a defense in that division capable of stopping an offense that has suddenly turned into an INCREDIBLE juggernaut. You think Atlanta has the dogs -- pun un-intended, I swear! -- on defense to run with the Saints' offense? Not a chance! Name more than three guys on their first team and I'll be surprised. The Buccaneers, despite what happened last year, don't have the personnel to keep up with the Saints now, and the Panthers, well ... those kitties will need all nine lives in their two games this season against that Saint offense. 

We're honored to have Phil Steele, author of Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazines, on to chat about the landscape of college football as media days kick off and before practices begin in a couple weeks.

Phil, Andy Barch and Brian George tackle surprise teams, Clemson, the Heisman, the Big XII, Ohio State and non-BCS upstarts.

Be sure to tune in!

Direct download [4.3 MB]

Don't forget: Phil Steele. Tomorrow morning.

Listen, or we'll fight.

THE PROS

ESPN.com's NFL Power Rankings.

Big news over the last couple of days: Washington acquires Jason Taylor. ... Saints trade for Jeremy Shockey. ... Chad Johnson will be in camp (was there any doubt?). ... Plaxico Burress will report to camp.

Today, Erik continues his Browns preview.

Tomorrow: We're excited to have Phil Steele on the show to talk college football. Steele produces one of the best -- according to his research, the most accurate cumulatively over the last nine years -- college football preview magazines on the market. Be sure to tune in!

The Browns are 4-4 after parts one and two of my look at their 2008 season. On to games 9-13.

Brian and Joel discuss the impact of some first-rounders' possible absence from training camp will have on their respective teams, and later are joined by Adam Tracey of WindyCityGridiron.com to talk about the Bears' offensive issues and other NFC North and NFL issues.

Direct download [3.2 MB]

Pigskin Podcast producer and co-founder Nick Seuberling is a dad.

Nick's wife, Sara, gave birth to twins -- Aly and Ben -- on Friday afternoon.

Congratulations, Nick and Sara!

I was very tempted to go on another tirade about Brett Favre, but since both Andy Barch and I have already done so, I figured I'd go in another direction:

In Tuesday's dropback, we linked to a story picking an NFL game per week to which the author was looking forward.

Using that as a springboard, I thought I'd pick some games I'm looking forward to, either for the subplots, the competition or both.

I'm hoping this works today, though if you're reading this on PigskinPodcast.com, you'll know it has.

We're inching closer to the season with every week, and we've got some exciting new features coming your way: A top 25 college football poll, NFL Power Rankings, fantasy football and a picks contest that our readers can enter.

Stay tuned for information on all of that!

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Few things in life are certain, and things can change in the blink of an eye.

You can bank on some things not changing, though, at least not for a long, long time. Such is the case of Pittsburgh Steeler football. Earlier this month, it was made public that Steeler ownership may change hands, from the NFL and Pittsburgh institution that is the Rooney family to an outsider.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

After the first four weeks of the NFL season, I see the Browns at 2-2. Not such a great start considering their expectations, but it's realistic considering the schedule. More bad news Browns fans: The next four games don't get any easier. Let's take a look at games 5-8.

WEEK 5: NEW YORK GIANTS

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Another prime-time opportunity for Browns fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium. This will be a Monday night affair after a bye week for the Browns, and the bye will be needed after those first four games.

Chris Harris from Big Cat Country drops by to examine the future of the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Matt Jones' wild ride on the cocaine train, the team's rookies and the Jags' chances in the AFC.

Also, Zach Baker stops in for another chat, this time picking three guys with whom he'd like to start a team.

Don't forget: If you'd like to be a part of the action, call the Pigline at 916-912-4263; tell us who you are, where you're calling from and we'll get your thoughts on an upcoming show.

Direct download [4.4 MB]

I'm having technical difficulties. I don't think the whole site is, just me, which could also be termed "operator error."

But don't worry: We still have a dropback today, and I'm actually quite proud of it.

Andy Barch and Joel Hammond, two-fifths of the Podcast crew, are big Packers fans. Combine that with all the recent turmoil and controversy surrounding Brett Favre, and there's naturally going to be a lot of words on the issue, including plenty in Monday's show.

Andy weighs in this morning with his (changed) opinion.

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

I'm a stubborn ass, and it often pains me to admit when I'm wrong. I defended Brett Favre over the last few seasons when he's contemplated retirement. When my good buddy and colleague Joel Hammond has gotten on Favre and called for him to make a friggin' decision, I've always stated that as much as he's done for this franchise, he can wait as long as he wants to make a decision.

Those days are over.

After a week hiatus, the podcast is back with a bang! It's mid-July so we all know what that means: On Tuesday, Electronic Arts (EA) will be releasing its latest installment of the NCAA Football series, NCAA Football 2009.

I'm hoping that by Friday, I'll be recruiting some of your children in 2024.

So to give you the scoop on this year's edition, Ken Edwards from Blogcritics Magazine fills us in on the new features and what he thinks will be the next big thing in sports gaming.

Direct Download [5.2 mb]

By Andy Barch
ABarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Every year in the NFL, a team emerges and exceeds expectations by completely baffling the so-called experts and fans of opposing teams. That's the beauty of the NFL: It's really the only sport where fans from every team can get excited about training camp because they know anybody has a shot to win a championship.

Next week, we'll have two shows, though I'd be lying if I said I knew what they'd be about.

A quick note: When I do these, I don't include all the disciplinary problems of college players, because there's simply too much there. Anyone care? Didn't think so. Just be sure: College athletes, especially football players, it seems, are idiots.

On to the links!

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

I stumbled across this really cool SI.com project yesterday afternoon, and figured I'd try my hand.

Former NFL player Bucky Brooks and former front office worker Michael Lombardi, both of whom now write for SI.com, took the $116 million salary cap and the standard 53-man roster and put together their teams, using these cap numbers.

I decided to do the same.

By Brian George
BGeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

What's with everyone in sports making guarantees these days?

Broadway Joe Namath made his famous guarantee -- that his underdog Jets would beat the mighty Baltimore Colts (which they ultimately did) -- before Super Bowl III, and now players around the NFL feel the need to make a guarantee that their team or themselves will meet some kind of goal in the upcoming season. If I could borrow a rather priceless line from one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.

For your Brett Favre fix, see yesterday's blog on Favre, with some national reaction and opinions tacked on the end.

For the rest of the NFL -- what, there's other stuff going on? -- see below!

THE PROS

You always hear about coaches on the hot seat; who are players on the hot seat?

Ten rookies ready to make an impact right away.

Erik Bell is our resident Ohio State Buckeye and Cleveland Brown expert, and over the next couple weeks he'll follow up his OSU schedule analysis with some Cleveland Browns talk.

By Erik Bell
EBell@pigskinpodcast.com

It's time to turn my attention to the Browns. The football fans in Cleveland are anxiously awaiting the 2008 season, but I am skeptical because of not only some personnel issues on the field, but also because of a brutal schedule that is rated by most national experts as one of the toughest in football.

After the jump: national reaction to Favre's latest flip-flop.

By Joel Hammond
JHammond@pigskinpodcast.com

I didn't have a blog the last time Brett Favre "seriously" "considered" -- and yes, you can bet your behind I'm using quotation fingers to note sarcasm -- retirement, but if I did, it would have screamed:

"Favre needs to retire, and fast."

As you'll notice, there's no new show this morning.

We're human, and took the holiday weekend off. We'll have a full slate of blogs this week and new shows starting Monday morning.

Thanks for checking in!

Remember, access all our blogs by clicking on our archives.

By Joel Hammond
jhammond@pigskinpodcast.com

On last week's show, Erik Bell and I chatted about non-BCS conference sleepers and also delved a little into the Mid-American Conference, which houses our alma mater, Bowling Green.

The MAC seems to be poised for a resurgence this year, with plenty of non-conference opportunities to prove it belongs with the big boys.

Later today: Joel Hammond goes back to school, opining on the Mid-American Conference.

By Andy Barch
abarch@pigskinpodcast.com

Every week I read about the Arizona Cardinals and their head coach Ken Whisenhunt committing to third-year quarterback Matt Leinart. No more than one sentence later, I read about Kurt Warner not being comfortable as the backup to the next big thing in the desert.

Obviously, the big news is word that Brett Favre has an 'itch' to play again. Ugh. You can be certain Andy Barch or I, Pigskin Podcast's resident Packer Backers, will have an opinion on this, and soon.

(Seriously, what is Al Harris thinking? "We'd welcome Brett back with open arms." Ugh.)

Speaking of, Andy and I have blogs slated for tomorrow, a holiday helping, if you will.

Until then, a Fourth of July edition of the links:

THE PROS 
Though he makes no apologies for his rookie contract, Matt Ryan sees where Roger Goodell is coming from.

Jim Wyzard from Conquest Chronicles, a Southern Cal site, joins us to chat about the Trojans and the rest of the mysterious Pac-10.

Additionally, Nick Seuberling and Joel Hammond lock horns in a spirited debate about Roger Goodell's comments about NFL rookie contracts.

Don't forget you can get in on the show by calling us on the Pigline at 916-912-4263!

Direct download [4.92 MB]

All our blogs can be found in our archives.

By Brian George
bgeorge@pigskinpodcast.com

Early last month, Mike Tranghese, the man who single-handedly helped build Big East football, announced he would retire as the conference's commissioner at the end of the 2008-09 season. Tranghese has been Big East commissioner sine 1990 and having grown up in Big East territory, I was able to see first-hand how the league was transformed on the gridiron and the hardwood.

Programming note: After Andy Barch's Friday morning blog, we'll be off the holiday weekend, and I'll be hoping my dog doesn't have a heart attack from fireworks.

In the meantime, we'll have blogs through the rest of the week, but we won't have another show until Monday morning.

Lastly: Nick Seuberling and his wife pump-faked us. Nick was at the hospital Sunday night, but Sara was in false labor. So he'll be out of the blog rotation for a little while, but back in the saddle when everything gets settled with his new baby boy and girl.

Now, onto the links!

THE PROS
ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski takes commish Roger Goodell to task for remarks critical of rookie salaries, and makes some good points in doing it.

Are the Cowboys a nightmare for the NFL?

A quick note: We again set a new standard for unique visitors, visits, page views and hits last month, all by wide margins; our unique visitors went from 1,224 in May to 1,621 in June.

We'd like to thank all our listeners and readers for making the site such a success so far, and it's only going to get bigger and better!

By Erik Bell
ebell@pigskinpodcast.com

Last week, I looked at the first half of the Ohio State schedule and determined they would go 5-1, with a loss in Los Angeles to USC the only blemish. How does the second half of the schedule shape up? Let's dive right in.