The Only 10k that's Better is Haile's Wow. 10,000 hits on this site. I'm floored. I never thought people would read 6.2 miles of this crap.

Thanks to everyone who logs on regularly, intermittently, and/or by mistake. Hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing.

Onto today's mularkey, which is really a combination of stuff from yesterday and stuff from today.
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*** The USC-Notre Dame football game was one of the best college games - heck, one of the best games in any sport- of all time. It had everything you'd like to see.

And for anyone who wonders why Matt Leinart came back, it's not hard to decipher. Same way that, if anyone had ever stepped foot on the campus of Wake Forest, they would understand why Tim Duncan stayed four years.

I'll bet, if they let him go a fifth season, Leinart would start classwork on his MBA.

*** Oh, so there's a reason you were 2-for-20 with RiSP? Maybe I'm a cynic, or just don't like the guy, but I question the timing.

*** Ok, so Tedy Bruschi is coming back. Wow.

I, like many Pats fans, am scared for him. I think he's scared for him. But I think he's making the right decision. Why? Because HE'S making it.

Anyone who listens to Tedy Bruschi knows that he is an intelligent man. And he knows what is going on inside his body better than all of us. If it's not going to work, he'll make that call in much of the same fashion that he made the decision to attempt this.

Not me, not Borges, not Dennis and Callahan, not Belichick, not Kraft. Only Tedy.

And just a footnote to yesterday's press conference, but a bit of appreciation for what he did: he thanked Stacey James, the Patriots' director of public relations for giving Stacey "a big headache" over the last few months. Nice to see an athlete appreciate what those (us, actually)folks do, behind the line.

*** And on an aside, i hope tedy's first order of business is drilling Duane Starks into the ground. God, if he is on the field in two weeks, I'm going to question pre-ordering the new Halberstam book about Coach Belichick. Paging Earthwind Moreland andf Hank Poteat. Bring your cleats and pick up your playbook.

*** News about former Georgia Tech standout and Atlanta Hawk forward Jason Collier's death was not lost this weekend. Another one, too young. RIP, Jason.

*** How about this article about the cancellation of the Kellenberg Memorial prom, in Long Island?

I think it stinks, but then again, I hated my proms. I am, however, most impressed with the use of the word "bacchanalian." A job well-done by the K-berg principal for using that 50 cent word, (which is not to be confused with words used by rapper 50 Cent, because those are denoted here on TLBR by the euphemism "shampoo...")

*** Someone alert Congress that there is going to be a steroid user pretty soon.

*** At 3:00 p.m. yesterday, I was sick of the WEEI Neurologists, so I switched to WMVY - Martha's Vineyard radio.

You can find it online at: www.wmvyradio.com.

Instead of Steve DeOssie committing a felony on the English language, you can get the soothing sounds of Tracy Chapman and the Grateful Dead. In the summertime, you can also get the standby status of the Woods Hole and Hyannis ferries.

*** Some breaking news in the case of Schapelle Corby.

To get the backstory about Ms. Corby, google her or check back to the early days of TLBR.

Bottom line: this is not a get out of jail free card. If anything, it allows her to serve time in a prison that is fit for human occupation. Her recent appeals to have her sentence thrown out have been denied. The only thing that the Indonesian gov't has done is take 5 years off her sentence. But let's be honest here, that's like putting chocolate sauce on dog shit. It might make it ok initially, but it's still...

*** Last night, I made a bold attempt.

I made a meatloaf.

And to be honest, it was awesome. It is awesome. It is about a week and a half of meals.

So move over, Rachael Ray, here's the recipe:
- preheat the oven to 375 degrees
- get a big bowl
- get a whole bunch of meat. have a butcher grind it up and stuff. go with about 3 lbs. of it
- put the meat in it
- dump 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs in
- dump 3/4 cup of chopped up white onion and celery
- dump 1/3 cup of parsley in
- chop half of a red, green, and yellow pepper up. dump it in
- add a dash of garlic powder
- pour some egg beaters over the top - if you want an exact measurement, call it 1/2 cup
- get a mixing bowl and create my meatloaf sauce concoction (said sauce is 1 cup spicy barbeque sauce, 1/3 cup ketchup, ample splashes of A-1, and a hearty dollop of yellow mustard)
- chop up a little bacon
- mix it all up and make a loaf out of it

Bake for 60 minutes, stopping at 35:00 to top it with a small mix of 75% bbq, 15% mustard, 10% ketchup, just for coating.

*** In response to the NBA and Commissioner David Stern's new "dress code" policy for the league, Denver's Marcus Camby and Charlotte's Brevin Knight had something to say.

(lifting much of this from Oscar Dixon's USA Today piece)

The commissioner talked about professionalism, representation, accessibility to fans and community service — making it clear he feels his league has an image problem.

Ignoring the dress code is not an option. "Teams and players will be subject to fines" for violating the dress code, said NBA spokesman Tim Frank. "Repeat offenders will be subject to suspensions."

But here's the kicker: Philadelphia 76ers superstar Allen Iverson has said he would fight a dress code. Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby and Charlotte Bobcats guard Brevin Knight said that if the league wants to institute a dress code that players should receive stipends or vouchers to offset clothing costs.

AI, to me, gets a pass because I like his game. And Camby, sort of, because he once did me a pretty solid favor that got me off my then-girlfriend's fecal roster (excuse, hold on, I need to pick up that name I mistakenly dropped). I've got nothing for Brevin Knight.

But regardless...A SHAMPOOING VOUCHER FOR CLOTHES? You know who needs a voucher for clothes? Hurricane Katrina victims. Homeless veterans. And, to an extent, Division I scholarship athletes. But Marcus Camby, he of the boatloads of money Cambys, wants a voucher?

Oh, but wait, this is the "reason:" Buying off the rack is less of an option for people who average 6-7, and although the league is requiring players to buy a wardrobe for an 82-game regular season, the minimum player salary last season was $385,000. Sport coats priced at shops that cater to big and tall men ranged from $150-$600.

Here's what I do guys: re-suit, just change your shirt, tie, socks, and undies. It's all good. No one notices!

At the extreme, the NBA should make Tom James or Joseph Abboud a league official. The vice-commissioner for wardrobe or some shite.

"I look at K.G. (Kevin Garnett), and Tim Duncan, they just want to be comfortable," says former NBA center Kevin Willis, who played with Duncan in San Antonio. "Tim told me the last time he wore a suit he had the worst game of this career."

Ironically, the Spurs, the reigning defending NBA champions and one of the league's model franchises, will be most affected by the dress code. San Antonio, which has a reputation for having players known for high character, has perhaps the biggest group of casual dressers.

Duncan leads the list. His normal attire is jeans and an oversized shirt. "I don't even own a suit," he says.

David Stern is trying to reform his league's image, but taking the comments of its best-known players at face-value, the efforts to reform said image is only dragging it down further.

*** On the topic of the NBA...I'm sick and tired of reading about that player who went pro too early, took the money and ran, has all the talent in the world but is misplacing it. Aren't there rules regarding age? Shouldn't someone police this?

And on top of all that, this player went out and "disrespected" the game and played it the wrong way. Who am I referring to?

Michelle Wie.

Why isn't anyone up in arms for her decision, yet, if Greg Oden or LeBron ever wanted to make a similar jump, it would be a societal issue.

*** Ok, Butch Stearns...is Manny Ramirez still the best right-handed hitter in the game? Me votes for Pujols, yarrrr (that was me talking in pirate).

*** And on as aside, how much better is the team of Thom Brennaman, Psycho Lyons, and Bob Brenly than those other clowns who are doing the ALCS? They lap the field.

For crying out loud, Brenly's comments were prescient, like he had a script or something. Or maybe because he's been there. And their interaction is not forced and very entertaining. It doesn't take away from the game.

*** From the NY Post's "Page Six:" WEEZER frontman Rivers Cuomo is going back to school. The nerd-rock icon — who enrolled at Harvard years ago after the band's second album, "Pinkerton," flopped — says he'll return in February to complete his degree in English literature. The singer-guitarist-songwriter for the multi-platinum rockers, who are now touring with the Foo Fighters, said yesterday on Howard Stern's show he plans to live in the dorms. It's unlikely Cuomo's school days will lead to any serious rock 'n' roll debauchery — he's been celibate for 2 1/2 years.

For my money, there's not a more overrated rock star than this guy...

*** Click on Chad Finn's link at the top of the page. He is the only writer - the only one - who has most accurately described the Red Sox season. The piece is called "The End of the Idiots."


*** This is the kind of stuff about my business that makes my teeth hurt.


What's more important, the health of a student-athlete or a sponsor? Who are we serving here?


Here's a compromise, kids - have him try on different adidas shoes, find the one that fits best. Otherwise, he wears Nike, Reebok, K-Swiss, and LA Gear - whatever fricken works for him

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That's all from here. Thanks again for helping to reach that milestone. See you at 20k.


One.  ¶ 10:40 AM