http://flic.kr/p/9vXGni
Peter King Lied When He Said that the Preseason Does Not Matter… Uhm… Thanks to the preseason, left guard Travelle Wharton is GONE for the ENTIRE regular season. (You know, the one that counts…) Carlos Dunlap is out for a month after injuring his knee in last week’s preseason game against the Jets. Rey Maualuga is out too, but… That also means we will see more of Vontaze Burfict this week against the Falcons. I am hoping that Burfict, T. Newman and Devon Still add a little hope to a very injury-depleted Bengals defensive unit.
http://flic.kr/p/5aiqaC
Don’t Believe The Hype (because this should be the only time I quote Flavor Flav): The events of the past week have proven to me how so NOT a real journalist I am. I was truly saddened to hear the news out of Miami about Chad Johnson. If ever there was a reason not to believe the hype, I hope Chad figures it out this time. He is/was a genuinely nice and gifted person. However, no incidents happen in a vacuum or completely out of character. I suspect it is time for him to reexamine his life, and the people he chooses to keep close. It is not too late to turn off adoring spotlight of fans and turn on the harsh spotlight of self-examination and improvement.
Fantasy Football Prediction (because it’s never too early to strategize): Uhm… Remember all the hype I had going about the Bengals defense? Did you see all the injuries from last week’s preseason game? Trust me… You and I both may want to reconsider the defensive unit (especially the pass rush) when it comes time to drafting your fantasy football team. Don’t get me wrong, though, I really, really want to be wrong about this one… 
http://flic.kr/p/8LXhx8
Shameless Rumor Mongering (because other folks are whispering it anyway…): Jordan Shipley will (likely) be cut by the Bengals. Yep, that’s all I have to say. Now, we wait and see…
The Earth Is Not Flat (and great reasons to discuss sports other than football): If the “Hard Knocks” episode of Chad Johnson being cut by the Miami Dolphins didn’t give you a drama-fix for the week, check out these interviews with Chicago Bulls’ star Derrick Rose. It is an eye-opening experience hearing a player discuss such a career/life-ending injury with such candor. He brought a lot of excitement to Chicago, and I hope it’s not too late for them to deliver something special to the Windy City.
http://flic.kr/p/c1Upy3
There May Be Life in Other Solar Systems (and other non-sports related news worth mentioning): Apparently, production on Iron Man 3 has stopped due to an injury to Robert Downey, Jr. while on set. Uh-oh… Let’s wish him a speedy recovery so we can have more than Thor 2 to get excited about in 2013. (You have to guess that they have not improved upon the first one since Thor 2 has already been moved from a prime summer release to a “late 2013” premier.)
