The Falcons won... I'm so happy I think I may be tearing up a little bit. These are the week 6 picks:

Atlanta Falcons over Chicago Bears - The Bears wins are either flukes of versus bad teams. I don't think Kyle Orton is going to be able to keep up with Matt Ryan in all of his glory. The Falcons are just too good. That and I can't resist. Those who have read my picks before know all too well, the Falcons are my kryptonite. The Atlanta Falcons at 4-2... it's like music to my ears.

Indianapolis Colts over Baltimore Ravens - The Colts are kind of iffy this year, and I am always tentative when I pick them. I was tempted to choose the Ravens because of their defense, but I opted to go with Peyton even though he hasn't been himself very often this year.

Minnesota Vikings over Detroit Lions - The Lions are bad. The Vikings are mediocre. This one should be a blast to watch. At least the Lions will make the Purple look good this week.

New Orleans Saints over Oakland Raiders - What better way to get over a heart-breaking loss than to play the Raiders the next week. The Saints should come out firing and I don't think this is going to be very close when it's all said and done.

New York Jets over Cincinnati Bengals - Brett Favre versus the Bengals pass defense... I don't think it gets any more lopsided. On top of that, Carson Palmer isn't playing. Can we just give it to the Jets and save everyone time?

Carolina Panthers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jake Delhomme looks really good after that Tommy Johns surgery. And the Chiefs made him look even better last week. I'm looking for that play to carry over versus the Bucs.

Washington Redskins over St. Louis Rams - The Rams stink. The end.

Houston Texans over Miami Dolphins - Houston HAS to eventually... Right?

Denver Broncos over Jacksonville Jaguars - It's in Denver and I like the Broncos. Next.

Dallas Cowboys over Arizona Cardinals - No Anquan Boldin means no chance for the Cardinals. The Cowboys shouldn't have any problems taking this one.

Philadelphia Eagles over San Francisco 49ers - The Eagles can beat the 49ers. At least I hope they can. Otherwise 90% of the people on this site may have to be put on suicide watch.

Green Bay Packers over Seattle Seahawks - A lot of the games this week can be chosen simply by saying "[insert team name] is bad." This is another on of those instances. The Seahawks are bad. The Packers will win.

New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers - Both of these teams are kind of shaky this year. But, I have more confidence in the Patriots than I do the Chargers.

New York Giants over Cleveland Browns - The Browns are bad. Look I got to use this reason again. I think that makes six times for this week.

Those are the picks for this week. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Do I have anything clever to say this week? Do I ever? The answer to both is probably not. Week 5 picks are go!

Carolina Panthers over Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs may have beaten the Broncos last week, but they're still bad. The Panthers beat the crap out of the Falcons last week. Could the Panthers finally be back to their old post-season contender selves? If they can stay healthy and with that schedule by all means they should at least make it there.

Chicago Bears over Detroit Lions - Last week the Bears beat a pretty good Eagles team. This week they travel to Detroit to take on a pretty bad Lions team. Kyle Orton, aka The Neck-Bearded Wonder, is looking like his old self. And that old self would be the one who can manage a game without messing up too much. Better than Rex Grossman. Am I right?

Atlanta Falcons over Green Bay Packers - I'm doing it and none of you can stop me. With no Aaron Rodgers, the Packers take a huge offensive hit. Ryan Grant is nowhere near the Ryan Grant of last year, and the Packers have two rookie backups. The Packers have a leg up on defense. But, with no Al Harris, I fully expect Matt Ryan and Michael Turner to take full advantage of every little mistake and hole the Pack give them. See the below image to witness Matty Ice in all his majesty. Like I said last week, I don't it's humanly possible for anyone to want to pick the Falcons to win more than I want to pick them.

San Diego Chargers over Miami Dolphins - I like the Dolphins this year, but they're no Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers are clearly the better team, even though they struggled a little last week against the frickin' Raiders. But, they pulled it off in the end, and I don't see any reason to believe they'll lose to Miami.

New York Giants over Seattle Seahawks - Who needs Plaxico Burress? Apparently the answer is not the Giants. Sure, he would help. He's the best receiver on the team. But rules are rules, and Plax broke them. It helps a little that the G-men are playing a bad team this week.

Philadelphia Eagles over Washington Redskins - This game goes to the Skins if it was in D.C. But, it's not. The Eagles just had a bump in the road last week. This week they'll bounce back and all the Eagles fans in the Yard can go back to hyping their team as opposed to ragging on them like they have been this week.

Baltimore Ravens over Tennessee Titans - I think this will be the week where the Titans go down. This is going to be a low scoring game, and I think the Ravens have the better defense. On top of that, it's in Baltimore. I have faith that Joe Flacco is going to be able to shrug off last week. If he can't, the Ravens might be in trouble.

Indianapolis Colts over Houston Texans - The Colts come back from their bye week to face the winless Texans. Hopefully Peyton Manning and his boys got their act together, because they were just plain bad before the bye.

Denver Broncos over Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Broncos may have lost to the Chiefs last week, but I have no way to finish that thought. It was a bad game plain and simple. I believe whole-heartedly they will bounce back and beat the Bucs.

Buffalo Bills over Arizona Cardinals - I'm going to continue to pick the Bills until they lose. Then I will actually have to think about it.

New England Patriots over San Francisco 49ers - The Patriots have played poorly thus far, but they aren't losing to the 49ers bad... yet. I just don't see a J.T. O'Sullivan led team beating the Patriots. It just sounds wrong. On top of that, the Pats have been sitting around for a week think about how they got their butts handed to them by the frickin' Dolphins. They better come out fired up, because by all means they should be pissed about that loss.

Dallas Cowboys over Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals are awful and Chad Johnson is talking trash. I don't understand his train of thought. Can someone explain to me how his strategy is a good idea? I would think pissing off one of the best teams in the league would be considered a terrible idea. Carson Palmer would be spinning in his grave if he were dead. (He may wish he were. Then he wouldn't have to put up with "Ocho Cinco" anymore.)

Pittsburgh Steelers over Jacksonville Jaguars - Does anyone know why the Steelers have been on Sunday Night Football four weeks in a row? With that aside, the Steelers have some issues at running back, if you didn't notice. It's a good thing the Jaguars have a lousy pass defense. 24th in the league doesn't really scream competent.

Minnesota Vikings over New Orleans Saints - If the Vikings lose again, I don't think I will be able to pick them ever again. Much akin to the Miami Dolphins, they're no Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings really don't have anything going for them other than Adrian Peterson. One player can only carry a team so far. And they're going to have to put up some numbers this week, because Drew Brees is going to be pass crazy this week. The question is can the Vikings defense stop him? I guess we'll have to wait and see. When I look back on this, I'm starting to question this pick. I, however, am going with my gut here and sticking with the Purple.

That's it for the week 5 picks. Hope you all enjoy your weekend.

In anticipation of the upcoming season, I have created a quiz dedicated to my favorite squad. Test your knowledge of the Minnesota Wild. Note, these are all either TEAM stats or records. Most (in fact I don't think any) are NOT NHL records.

Last week didn't go so hot, but what can you do? Can't win them all. Here are the picks for week 4:

Cincinnati Bengals over Cleveland Browns - The Browns need a win. The Bengals need a win. Cincinnati's offense actually seems capable of doing something right now. It's as simple as that. I fully expect another shootout like last year.

Minnesota Vikings over Tennessee Titans - The Vikings will keep rolling this week. The battle of the older than sin backup quarterbacks is upon us, and I have Gus Frerotte coming out on top.

Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs - The Broncos high octane offense versus arguably the worst team in the NFL. This isn't rocket science, people.

New Orleans Saints over San Francisco 49ers - This was a toss up. It sounds weird that I was honestly at one point leaning towards the 49ers for this one, but in the end I came to my senses. I almost let J.T. O'Sullivan and his 104.6 QB rating fool me into picking them. But I know better.

Arizona Cardinals over New York Jets - The Jets aren't living up to the hype. It's a sad day when you have to watch Brett Favre struggle like he has. Some people would say he deserves it. I am not one of those people. I want him to do well. But, the Cardinals offense will be too much for the Jets defense.

Green Bay Packers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I hate the Packers. But they are better than the Bucs. We'll see how the media's darling boy Aaron Rodgers bounces back after last week's mediocre performance.

Carolina Panthers over Atlanta Falcons - I want to pick the Falcons. I really want to pick the Falcons. I really, really want to pick the Falcons. But I cannot allow myself to do that. Unless.... NO! I can't do it. I need to move on before I change my mind. (I am going to be so mad at myself if the Dirty Birds pull this one off) Odds the Falcons will finish .500 or better, not so good. Odds the Falcons finish with 5 wins or more, pretty decent. Odds I will want to pick them to win every single week, if there was a percent over 100 I would say those would be the odds.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Houston Texans - The Jaguars are going to get back to .500 this week, I can feel it. They'll have to take out the Texans in the process. I like the Texans, but I don't see any scenario in which they would win this game.

San Diego Chargers over Oakland Raiders - Do I need to explain? Did you watch Monday Night Football? The Jets are better than the Raiders and the Bolts tore them a new one. Enough said.

Buffalo Bills over St. Louis Rams - Buffalo Bills 4-0. It has a nice ring to it. And it doesn't hurt that the Rams are putrid. Did Scott Linehan honestly bench Marc Bulger? They should have just fired him at that press conference.

Dallas Cowboys over Washington Redskins - The Cowboys are good, really good. Terrell Owens had a bad week last week. What does T.O. do weeks after he performs poorly? He lights up the scoreboard. Look for him to have AT LEAST 1 touchdown on Sunday.

Philadelphia Eagles over Chicago Bears - Donovan McNabb is playing and the Bears are screwed. The only way they had a chance win is if he wasn't playing. If Westbrook is out it may slow the Iggles down a little, but not much. Probably not even a noticeable amount. The Bears are bad.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens - Ben Roethlisberger is hurt, but will play. Willie Parker is out and will be replaced by Rashard Mendenhall who will make his first NFL start. So why am I still picking them? Because I'm feeling saucy, that's why.

Those are the picks. Have a good Sunday, everyone.

If you think you liked last week's predictions, get ready for something equally as thrilling. That's right. It's time for week 3.

Atlanta Falcons over Kansas City Chiefs - It was a coin toss. I kid you not. NEXT

Buffalo Bills over Oakland Raiders - Oakland won in a big way last week. It's a shame they were playing the Chiefs. This just in, the Bills are pretty good this year. Although Jacksonville hasn't had the best of starts, Buffalo's win was still pretty good. 3-0 Bills? Sounds pretty good to me.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Chicago Bears - It's the revenge of Brian Griese. Citizens of Chicago, run for your shanties. Although Chicago let one slip away against the Panthers last week, I really don't see them winning more than 7 this season. This will be another one of their losses. But Matt Forte is pretty good. If you haven't had a chance to check him out, I suggest you do.

Houston Texans over Tennessee Titans - Looks like Kerry Collins gave the Titans a real shot in the arm last week. It's a shame he was passing against the Bengals. Although the Texans secondary isn't really what one would call spectacular, it is better. Plus, the Texans have a better pass rush. This just in, Mario Williams is good. Remember when people were upset when the Texans didn't take Vince Young? Who's the idiot now?

Carolina Panthers over Minnesota Vikings - I'm the worst Vikings fan ever. This is two weeks in a row I've picked against them. I hope I'm wrong. But, to be honest, I don't blame me. Have you seen the Vikings passing game? Don't tell me Gus Frerotte is going to be much of a help, because he probably won't. On top of that, the Panthers add Steve Smith. Scary for a team with a shaky pass defense? I think so. Could I ask more questions? Not about this game.

New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins - Thanks to Ted for pointing out that this was missing. It was written down, but for some reason didn't make the transfer from Word to the Yard. Go figure. But, as he stated, this game is not that hard of a choice. The Dolphins, while better than last year, are still not very good. Matt Cassel looked decent in his first NFL start, and never really looked terribly out of place. Look for Randy Moss to make him look really good this week against a bad Dolphins defense.

New York Giants over Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals are bad again! We've gotten in our way back machine. They've got some great players on offense and Shayne Graham, but the rest of the team is pretty crummy. And guess what, the Giants aren't missing Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora too much. Justin Tuck is coming up huge, and I don't think he's going to be stopping any time soon.

Arizona Cardinals over Washington Redskins - While both teams are pretty bad overall, Arizona's got one nasty offense. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are just too good to be stopped by people like Fred Smoot. Also, Kurt Warner is playing like himself 10 years ago.

Detroit Lions over San Francisco 49ers - The return of the home-field nod? I think not. The 49ers are bad. The Lions have a pretty good offense. The end.

Seattle Seahawks over St. Louis Rams - The return of the home-field nod?! YES!!! Both teams are just playing awful. But the Seahawks were the best most recently. And did I just see them sign Koren Robinson today? I think I did. It's a shame, too, I kind of liked Scott Linehan.

Denver Broncos over New Orleans Saints - You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them. Or just have a bunch of terrible calls go their way and win with a 2-point conversion with 24 seconds left. Tomato, tomahto, let's call the whole thing off. Brandon Marshall came back in a big way last week. Expect to see him in the end zone this Sunday. Also, if you haven't realized it, Jay Cutler is pretty darn good. Although the Saints are a pretty good team, I'm going to let my fan get the best of me on this one. I'm not the first, folks.

Philadelphia Eagles over Pittsburgh Steelers - This will be a high scoring game. The Eagles let one get away last week, and they'll be looking to bounce back in a big way. However, the Steelers aren't pushovers. Ben Roethlisberger, last I checked, is one of the league's best. And Willie Parker will make that Eagles D work just as much as... Well, Brian Westbrook will make the Steelers D work. The Eagles, again, will be involved in the most interesting game of the year. Interesting enough for me to watch? Probably not. But I will get score updates periodically.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Indianapolis Colts - The Colts won a squeaker over the Vikings last week. It should never be that close over a team that is performing that poorly. Jacksonville is going to come out hungry. Winless after three? I think not. The Jaguars should have a big week. David Garrard is a lot better than he has been playing.

Cleveland Browns over Baltimore Ravens - This team has talent. I don't see them losing this week. I just can't accept it. The Ravens aren't very good and the Browns should be coming out fast to try and get things turned around. Braylon Edwards needs to STOP DROPPING PASSES!

Dallas Cowboys over Green Bay Packers - In addition to me hating the Packers, I hate the Aaron Rodgers love fest that has been going on. I want him to go out and have a terrible game. Who better to make you feel bad about yourself than the Cowboys? Everyone hates losing to the Cowboys. Tony Romo and Terrell Owens are already firing on all cylinders and Marion Barber is a beast. Please just embarrass Rodgers and make the media stop. That's all I really want.

New York Jets over San Diego Chargers - Brett Favre wants to win. He wants to let everyone know the Jets are for real. What better place to do so than on Monday Night Football. And it won't hurt that they're playing a Chargers team that has stumbled out of the gate. I don't expect LaDainian Tomlinson to stay quiet for three weeks, but I still don't see the Bolts winning this week, either.

That's it for my week 3 picks. Hope everyone enjoys this week's games.

Brad Childress announced this afternoon that he has benched quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in favor of Gus Frerotte. The team seems desperate now, and I'm none too happy about it. The Vikes are in trouble if they are making these moves so early in the season.

Childress has stated that Frerotte, barring injury, will be the starter for the remainder of the season.

I missed posting for week 1 due to a lack of computer. However, I doubt people care. With that said, I will give my predictions for week 2.

Tennessee Titans over Cincinnati Bengals - Even with the injury to Vince Young, the Bengals showed me nothing last week. I expect a lot of the same lack luster performance. Veteran Kerry Collins will get the start for the Titans. And while I've never cared much for him as a player, I think he has the tools to get the job done this week.

Green Bay Packers over Detroit Lions - This, too, was not a hard decision. Detroit looked awful last week. Now, while I didn't agree with ESPN A-Rodg love fest on Monday night, he didn't do terrible. All he has to do to beat the Lions is mediocre and I'm sure there won't be any issues for the Pack to win this game.

Kansas City Chiefs over Oakland Raiders - Who sucks less? That is the real question. And honestly, I wanted to pick Oakland. They have some talented players, but they were putrid on Monday. Kansas City wasn't much better, but they're the home team. Even though KC is rumored to be going with a dual "QB" (at least that's what the Chiefs keep telling people these guys are QBs) set of Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen, I just don't see Oakland doing anything about it.

New York Giants over St. Louis Rams - Giants looked good last Thursday, not great, but good. Granted, they were playing Washington, but still. They should have enough to get by another bad team in the St. Louis Rams. I have no idea how the Rams are so bad. They've got talented players, but they just don't score. Giants should have another easy win.

Indianapolis Colts over Minnesota Vikings - Both of these teams underachieved last week. The Vikings pass defense was awful, plain and simple. This will pose a large issue going against Peyton Manning and the well-oiled offensive machine that is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts did lose Joseph Addai to injury in week one, but that doesn't matter this week because of Minnesota's stout run defense. I think Minnesota will be lucky in they can put up 10 points.

New Orleans Saints over Washington Redskins - New Orleans showed flashes of two years ago versus Tampa on Sunday. If they can continue this trend, I like their odds in the South. Washington showed flashes that they are really bad. And by flashes, I mean they're just really bad, not so much in flashes but overall. If New Orleans wins by less than two touchdowns, I will be surprised.

Carolina Panthers over Chicago Bears - Last minute dramatics and an over achieving team. That is how these two teams meet with 1-0 records. Carolina is good, although I don't want to jump to any conclusions too fast. They've broken too many hearts in the past few years to be taken seriously quite yet. The Bears, however, surprised everyone by taking the Colts down a peg. Matt Forte played out of his mind. I expect this to be a close game, but it probably won't be very exciting. This is another game where I give the nod to the home team, regardless of the Neck Beard, who doesn't get enough credit for what he does for the Bears.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Buffalo Bills - Jacksonville's week 1 hiccup is nothing to be worried about. Buffalo showed signs that all of the off-season hype wasn't unfounded garbage. However, I'm not completely sold on them yet. Do it a few more times, and I might start to believe. I just like the Jags odds in the match a little more.

Seattle Seahawks over San Francisco 49ers - Much like the Raiders/Chiefs game, both teams looked pretty bad and I have no reason to believe that things will change week 2. So, who is worse? Seattle at least has a track record of being pretty good the past few years and they have a pretty good defense with a decent offense. San Francisco has a pretty good defense and an awful offense (not including Frank Gore, he's good). The way it looks, I think Seattle is going to put a beat down on the Niners.

Atlanta Falcons over Tampa Bay Buccaneers - My upset of the week. Maybe I just want to see the Little Engine That Could pick up some more steam in week 2. They looked great last week (against the Lions) and put up some monster numbers (against the Lions). Matt Ryan had a great NFL debut (against the Lions) while Michael Turner ran up and down the field (against the Lions). Tampa, while still being a pretty good team, will take a big hit if Jeff Garcia doesn't play.

Baltimore Ravens over Houston Texans - There are some really unattractive games coming up this weekend. This is another one of those games where we try to find out who the biggest loser is. It's Houston. After squeaking by the Bengals in week 1, Joe Flacco picked up his first NFL touchdown and gained some ever precious NFL experience. Houston got reamed by Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger. While Houston is the more established of the two teams (how often can you say that?), I liked what I saw from Baltimore last week. I'll give them the nod in week 2.

New England Patriots over New York Jets - They may have lost Brady, but they still have their great defense. Brett Favre will get his first action against the Pats as a Jet. This game has already been getting too much hype. And, with Brady going down, it's getting more. Matt Cassel isn't that bad of a QB. He lacks experience, so expect a few slip-ups in his first NFL start. However, he is throwing to a guy named Randy Moss. Maybe you've heard of him. He's pretty good.

Arizona Cardinals over Miami Dolphins - Really? This is like the fourth game where I'm asking myself, "These places still have teams?" Miami is awful and Arizona has a really good offense. Do I need to elaborate? Let's just say my Grandma can throw the ball farther than Chad Pennington. And she, rest her soul, passed away last year. Catch my drift?

Denver Broncos over San Diego Chargers - How 'bout them Broncos? I'll take it with a grain of salt, week 1 versus the Raiders. All right, now that I'm back down to Earth, we can proceed. They did show flashes that they could be contenders this season and they add Brandon Marshall who comes back from his suspension. The Chargers lose Shawn Merriman for the season and lost in dramatic fashion the Panthers. This is one of the best match-ups this week and I see it coming down to the wire. The Broncos get the home field nod.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns - The supposed playoff contending Browns looked like the Browns last week. Not last year's Browns, but the normal Browns. The ones that are perennially bad. The Steelers looked solid, albeit versus the Texans. Look for another huge game from Willie Parker, because I don't think the Browns got the memo that you're not supposed to let the other team score.

Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles - Both teams looked solid versus bad teams last week. So, which team do you go with? The one who was a) good last year and b) beat the better bad team. The Cowboys are a really good team. Tony Romo looks like he could make a case for MVP this season and T.O. just tied Cris Carter (who in my opinion was better than Jerry Rice) for 2nd all-time in receiving touchdowns. The Eagles, who had a stellar week 1 performance out of Donovan McNabb, will actually have to play a team with a defense. Expect a huge drop in their offensive production. This WILL be the best game of the week (I hope), and I don't even like NFC East football. With that said, watch it and enjoy.

Those are the picks. If you don't agree, I don't care. Hope everyone enjoys this weekends games.

Bryant McKinnie, starting left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, has been suspended for the first four games of the NFL regular season for violations of the league's conduct policy.

What this means for the team is that Artis Hicks, the back-up left guard, will get the starting nod. In the limited action Hicks has seen since he joined the team, Hicks has looked sloppy, far from what McKinnie brings to the table.

During the suspension the Vikings will be facing teams with exquisite pass rushers. Green Bay with Aaron Kampman, Indianapolis with Dwight Freeney AND Robert Mathis, Carolina with Julius Peppers and Tennessee Kyle Vanden Bosch all will most certainly be lining up against Hicks. This will put a lot more stress on guard Steve Hutchinson and center Matt Birk. Expect to see quarterback Tarvaris Jackson on his back quite a bit.

McKinnie is eligible to be back as early as October 6th when the Vikings travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints on Monday Night Football.

Honestly, people? Why has no one used this headline yet? I may not be the first to report on this, I do however have the best headline. Eddie Guardado is a Minnesota Twin again, and he brings his 3.65 ERA and a .220 opponent batting average to bolster the backside of the Twins bullpen. After losing Neshek at the beginning of the season, the Twins have been clamoring to fill the void and haven't really found any permanent fixes. In exchange, the Rangers receive minor league prospect Mark Hamburger who they will assign to their Class-A affiliate.

To make room for Eddie, the Twins assigned third basemen Mike Lamb for assignment. Thus ending the Lamb Era in Minnesota. I know, we're all very sad.

So, "What do I think of this trade?" you might be asking yourselves. Don't lie to me, either. I know you were all thinking it. I like it. Because, honestly, it can't be any worse than Brian Bass. Guardado is a fan favorite and still a decent pitcher. The Twins just need him to keep doing what he's been doing all year, and I'm sure that is what he's expecting of himself. I think this may be what the Twins needed to do to take the AL Central crown.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports broke news that Brett Favre has been traded to the New York Jets.

It's finally over, everyone. We made it! And, quite honestly, I couldn't be happier. As an employee of a Vikings pro shop, I no longer will have to field questions about all this nonsense.

On top of that, I can like Brett Favre openly now. As a Vikings fan, I have no beef with the Jets and now I'm really looking forward to getting to see Brett play next season. I may even have to go buy myself a Brett Favre Jets shirt. Mind you, it will be just a t-shirt. I'm not made of money.

So, how does this affect the league? Well, for starters, the Jets will be a lot of people's favorites to take a Wild Card spot in the AFC. Let's not go bananas, folks. Favre won't launch them over the Patriots, but I think a Wild Card would be my prediction. As for the Packers, draft picks and no Favre distractions for the rest of the team. Sure, they traded a Hall of Famer. But, what's the worst that could happen? Actually, don't answer that. I'm don't think the fragile psyche of the citizens of Wisconsin would be able to handle it. All in all, a decent trade for both sides.

Now, let the Chad Pennington saga begin!

This is my list of favorite goaltenders of all-time. It's not just stat based, so people will disagree with a lot most likely. I just thought it would be fun to try the list maker.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ryan Hollweg from the New York Rangers for a fifth-round pick in 2009. The pick was originally part of the deal with Pittsburgh for Hal Gill.

Hollweg, arguably one of the worst players in the NHL, has amassed a whopping 12 points in his 3 years in the NHL. Known more as an "enforcer" or a "fighter", most people's issues with Hollweg come from the fact that he is bad at fighting and more often than not misses checks and running himself into the boards.

This was a steal for the Rangers and yet another poor move for the Leafs. Maybe he'll turn it around in Toronto. Or maybe he'll continue to be a drain on someone's pocketbook. Either way, Hollweg will get paid, when he really shouldn't.

Adding some grit to their line-up after the departures of Aaron Voros and Todd Fedoruk, the Minnesota Wild signed veteran Owen Nolan to a 2-year deal worth $5.5 million. This is a nice pick-up that will add some veteran leadership that the team is in need of, but they still need to address the bigger issue of centers and the lack there of.

Last season, Nolan posted 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 77 games with a +6 rating and notched 71 penalty minutes for the Calgary Flames. It will be interesting how the Wild depth chart will pan out this season with this being the fourth winger added via free agency.

All I can say is ouch to the Warrior fans out there. Can't wait to hear what Boom has to say about this.

Baron Davis has apparently made verbal agreements with the Los Angeles Clippers. This opens the door for LA to potentially bring back Elton Brand. If all falls into place for them, look for the Clippers to make moves in the right direction next season.

Write it down, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the 2008-2009 Southwest Division champions and will make a serious run at the cup. After acquiring the rights to negotiate with Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from Pittsburgh, the Lightning went out and acquired the rights to another All-Star caliber player. Brian Rolston former captain of the Minnesota Wild will also be on his way to south Florida. If the Lightning can swing a deal with Rolston, they will be a virtual lock for not only their division but potentially the conference championship after signing Malone to a 7-year deal and Roberts to a 2-year. The trade was for a conditional draft pick.

It's gotta be the mullet. I swear, Barry Melrose is a magical man. As a Wild fan, this is truly frustrating. It finally started to feel as if the team had something going and now they lose one of it's most important leaders and most dynamic scorers of the past few seasons.