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!

... we've got two more divisional previews coming at you.

We'll be chatting with Brandon from Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, about the Pack and the NFC North, and we'll also sit down with Rafael Vela of the Blue and Silver Report, a Dallas Cowboys blog, about the 'Boys and the NFC East.

Be sure to tune in Monday and Wednesday for those conversations and much more from the guys!

This week on the Pigskin Podcast we'll continue our divisional previews; this week it's the AFC West. Raider Greg from RaiderNationPodcast.com will be stopping to talk about the RAAAAAAAAAAIDERS. We'll talk about Darren McFadden and his chances of success in Oakland. Then we'll preview the rest of the division. For more on Raider Greg, check out this question-and-answer session from this week.

PP: How long have you been doing your podcast at RaiderNationPodcast.com?

Raider Greg: I have been podcasting for three years now. When I started, there were only 300 total podcasts and two Raider podcasts.  That says something about about our team.

PP: Is Al Davis really as "crazy" as the national media make him out to be?

Raider Greg: Al Davis "IS" the Raiders and he is a iconic figure to the Raider Nation. As for the idea that Al is "crazy," I would have to say crazy like a fox. Mr. Davis is the ONLY owner of 32 teams to have the history, wisdom and cunning to make The Raiders a team that has fans in the millions. His ability to make the "mainstream" media dance to any music he chooses is brilliant! Do not get me wrong, Al has a way of making some odd decisions that make Raider fans "Freek Out!" Now that being said, Raider fans LOVE Al Davis.  He is the Raiders and when he steps down or worse yet is unable to run the team we will see the end of an age in the NFL. Who will be able to fill those shoes? No one could be more loved or hated in this sport. There is only one Al Davis and I for one love the man and worry about what will happen when he is gone. The Raiders have gone to a Super Bowl in 4 of the last 5 decades and one just in 2002. His willingness to spend money to put the best team on the field is unparalleled as shown this year in the $186 million spending spree to get us back on top. 

PP: What is your all-time favorite Raiders moment?

Raider Greg:  How many great moments have the Raiders had? I have so many, I must say that the Raiders have had some of the greatest names in NFL history. Bo Jackson, Jack Tatum, Marcus Allen. How many HOF players can I list? Each one having a great moment in the sun. I honestly cannot tell you a "single" favorite moment.

This week, we'll preview two more divisions, the AFC East and South.

To help us, we'll have Brian Galliford from BuffaloRumblings.com and Jimmy Morris from MusicCityMiracles.com help us break down their favorite divisions.

A little about Mr. Galliford:

He's ready to graduate from SUNY Geneseo in western New York, where he's a Journalism/Media Studies major. 

He says he got into blogging for school.

"(It was) part of an Internet technologies class," Galliford said. "I started my own Bills blog, and after about two months of doing that, SB Nation asked me to join their spectacular network covering the Bills. This was in February of 2007; in April, Buffalo Rumblings launched, and I've been growing our online community for a little over a year. We now have a steady readership and one heck of an intelligent community that talks Bills football with the four of us who run the site on a daily basis; it's been a blast."

We're looking forward to it, Brian.

Now, let's do one last batch of links for the week:

 

THE PROS

Ouch: NYT columnist calls for a year suspension for Bill Belichick.

Is Notre Dame's John Carlson the missing piece in Seattle's passing game?

Can David Garrard make Jacksonville care?

Funny headline: Marvin Harrison "not a suspect so far."

Willie McGinest will retire after the 2008 season.

 

COLLEGES

Charlie Weis needs to STFU.

June Jones is attempting to do what he did in Hawaii in Dallas.

UCLA could stink this year. (Hey, maybe a win for Fatty Weis' crew!)

Notre Dame, Arizona State to match up at the Cowboys' new stadium.

... is a surprise.

And even though one member of our crew is a notoriously bad secret-keeper, he won't be telling this time around.

So on Friday morning, drop what you usually do -- whether that's a quick trip to the gym, a little fun with the lady/fella friend or a stroll with the dog -- and listen to the Pigskin Podcast.

It's the first of a two-part series, and you will NOT be disappointed.

See you here Friday morning!

It's a big week at Podcast Central, with respected play-by-play man Paul Keels stopping by to chat about the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Nick Seuberling and admitted Buckeye follower Erik Bell will grill Paul on the mood in Columbus after the team's second straight disappointing finish -- and the very good season they had up until that point, as well.

They'll also ask Paul why he thinks most of the Buckeyes' NFL-ready juniors, like linebacker James Laurinaitis and offensive lineman Alex Boone, came back for their senior seasons, how far OSU can go in 2008 and where we might see some Buckeyes go in April's NFL Draft.

Additionally, Andy Barch and Joel Hammond will debate some of the hot-button issues of the day, including Phil Fulmer's status at Tennessee, horsecollar tackling and the state of the Big East.

It's all this week on the Pigskin Podcast!

Big things are happening here at PigskinPodcast.com; don't be left out.

First, a reminder that, as we are daily adding to our stockpile of listener questions, you can get in on the fun, as well. If you have a question for the guys, e-mail us to have your voice heard.

Secondly, we have another special guest for this week's show: Shan Shariff, who is the program director and a sports show host at Delmarva, Md.'s ESPN Radio affiliate, 1240 AM. According to his bio, Shariff also fills in on ESPN's Baltimore affiliate, 1300.

An American University (that's big time, folks) graduate, Shariff has quite a self-deprecating sense of humor: His web site lists his greatest sports accomplishment as winning a state tennis doubles title - while being carried by a girl.

Shariff will let us know what the feeling is in the DC area on the Redskins' hiring of Jim Zorn (originally hired as the offensive coordinator, then elevated to head coach), and will also discuss any other Redskin- and NFL-related material we can throw at him.

It sounds like Shariff will fit right in with our motley crew, so please do tune in Friday morning for the latest episode of the Pigskin Podcast.

Also on Friday's show will be the latest installment of Stop the Presses, where our panelists find a column or story and tell you why it's bunk, and a listener mailbag segment, where we will take on the burning questions our faithful followers want answered.

We'll be back Friday morning. You should, as well. You never know what you'll miss.

(Additionally: Check in Sunday, where we'll announce a VERY special guest for NEXT week's show. Here's a hint: He's got a recognizable voice, at least to Buckeye Staters.)

Erik Bell and Andy Barch go head-to-head in our first segment, and it's all Super Bowl. What was the best commercial? Is this the biggest upset of all-time? Does Eli Manning now sit at the head of the family's table?
 
Then, we move to the college game and talk with Anthony Pilcher, who runs the ND Football Forum.
 
The Irish hauled in the No. 9 recruiting class according to ESPN.com, so what will this do for the 2008 season and beyond? 
 
The prize of the class is quarterback Dayne Crist: How soon does he see the field?
 
That's the future; what about the past? Can the Irish recover from their poor 2007 showing?
 
We've always heard that a day at Notre Dame Stadium is one of the best experiences for a sports fan. Can you describe the stadium, atmosphere, etc.? 
 
And we'll also have our first listener question, from avid Notre Dame fan and Rocky River, Ohio resident Anthony Fatica, who wants to know about the offensive line's struggles.
 
All this and more on tomorrow's Pigskin Podcast!

We're excited. He's excited.

We're set to host the first guest in the Pigskin Podcast's history in Friday's show: Anthony Pilcher, who runs "Pilcher's Notre Dame football blog," a popular little ditty devoted to the Golden Domers.

Our producer, Nick Seuberling, is a big Irish fan, and he promises to talk about Notre Dame recruiting (did you hear Signing Day is Wednesday?), Charlie Weis and the hiring of Jon Tenuta, the former defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech and Weis' new assistant head coach.

As you'll see, Anthony also has a unique feature on his blog: the elite selection playoff.

In advance of the show, we asked Anthony to answer a few questions. He obliged (anyone who knows Joel well will know what part with which he and Anthony will disagree):

What do you do for a living?  I work as an engineer for GE aviation assessing large compressor and turbine rotating part airworthiness lives. This mainly entails doing material low cycle fatigue, fracture mechanics, and probabilistic inclusion fatigue analysis. I have an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Notre Dame, a Master's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Notre Dame, and a Master's of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

How you ended up starting your blog? I started the blog mainly because I liked following, discussing, and, ultimately, writing about Notre Dame football. I feel very strongly that there is almost no impartial college football dialogue that takes place. Message boards seem to be ripe with knee-jerking and emotional commentary, following every rumor surrounding the program of interest with too much certainty.  ESPN, Sports Illustrated, etc. are out to make money and sensationalize everything, many times unnecessarily and incorrectly placing blame at the feet of 18-20 year old student athletes. I wanted to try and provide an objective forum on which to discuss things relative to Notre Dame football. I try and remain impartial, fair, and honest, not too quick to praise or criticize. I really started the blog to respond to demand for post-game analysis e-mails I used to send out. The audience got so big it just seemed like a natural fit.

How long have you been doing the blog, and what kind of traffic does it get? I guess I've been doing it for about two years now. I typically post a few things a week during the season as well as some stuff about recruiting, spring practice, and fall camp during the off-season. I also comment on any "major" football news. I'd say I have several hundred readers if I had to guess.