For those of you who don't know, Duquesne University is located in Pittsburgh, PA. It is also the only school ever to have the number one pick in the draft back to back years. There are 5,499 undergrads at Duquesne, and in 2005-06 the team went 3-24; last year the Dukes improved to 10-19. For those of you who think you may have heard of the school before, yes 5 players were shot on campus last year, including the teams two top scholarship players. None were killed, and the team still won 10 games, including an OT win against Boston College. Did I mention that those two top players are coming back this year?

Coach Everhart implemented a run and shoot offense, similar to that of the old Loyola Marymount teams. A tough one point loss to Saint Louis in the first round of the A-10 tournament ended a solid season. For the first time in a long time, people were seen scalping tickets outside of the Palumbo center before games. The students are again behind the program, and the talent is finally on the floor to deserve the support. Coach Everhart is recruiting above average talent, and getting the most from players already here.



The key to any programs sucess is recruiting, and it is going well for such a small program. Two years ago, Duquesne was one of the worst college basketball teams in the nation, and now they are a program rising fast. The Dukes welcome freshman Damian Sanders, who is a former Marquette signee, and four star prospect. The Dukes also welcome back the two players hurt in the shooting last year, both who have a shot to make the Freshman all A 10 team.



The talent the team had last year was good eough to win 10 games. This year should be even better with 3 key players added to the roster. For a team that is used to being laughed at, the NCAA tournament is no longer that far off. For a school that has always supported the team, good and bad, nothing could be better. Just think App State Beating Michigan. And it is all thanks to Coach Ron Everhart. Most fans here at Duquesne have December 5th circled on the calendar and have forever. The night Pitt comes to Duquesne, and Duquesnes chance to show they belong on the basketball scene in this city to.

I am pretty sure that if most people got away with double murder, they wouldn't put themselves in a spot to get charged with 11 felonies. How in the hell does someone screw up that bad. Let's all be honest for just a minute; OJ Simpson committed double murder and got away with it. True, he was convicted in a civil trial, but OJ isn't as dumb as we probably take him to be, and will never end up paying most of that money to the Goldmans, who really don't deserve it anyways.



You would think that if the average murderer got away with double murder, he or she would stay out of trouble from then on. But not Orenthal Simpson, nope he has to go getting into trouble in Las Vegas. And not your average arrest after a scuffle at 3 am at a strip club. OJ does it big time, because he's OJ. And in pure OJ style, he got tagged with 11, count them 11 felonies. So instead of getting probation, and going back to doing card shows and playing golf, OJ is facing life in prison. Way to go Juice, you were given a gift by 12 bumbling idiots, and now you go and screw up again.



I apologize if I don't feel sorry for seeing OJ on trial for a life’s worth of jail time. The man deserves every day he gets, and then some. This is a man who killed two people in cold blood, and the bought Johnny Cochran to play the "glove doesn't fit, you must acquit" card. (Also known as the race card, or the Cochran special) Well sorry to tell you OJ, but Johnny is dead. And your new lawyer said that last time has nothing to do with this trial, and the jury will be fair. If the jury really is fair, they will find you guilty on 11 counts, and recommend the max sentence.

1 Patriots 2-0-0 All you had to do was watch the first half of the Chargers game. Enough said.

2 Colts 2-0-0 Could have looked better against the one man team, but a win is a win.

3 Cowboys 2-0-0 For the first time this decade, the Cowboys have won their first two games of the season. The offense has looked very solid both weeks, and the defense doesn't look bad either.

4 Chargers 1-1-0 LT is struggling early, and the Chargers go as LT goes. San Diego has played two good defenses so far. Look for LT and the Chargers to get on track this week.

5 Steelers 2-0-0 The Steelers are 2-0 and have won both games by a lot. However both teams were bad teams. For now the Steelers are doing plenty to get the job done.

6 Bears 1-1-0 The offense has only scored on TD all season, and that came from an offensive tackle. The defense can only carry the load so long.

7 Broncos 2-0-0 Putting the Broncos this high was a tough choice. They could easily be 0-2 but they are 2-0. They are getting the job done by doing just enough. If they can keep doing just enough, they will continue to be this high up.

8 Ravens 1-1-0 QB Kyle Boller looked surprisingly good this week in relief on Steve Mcnair. Wait, why is Brian Billick calling the plays?

9 Seahawks 1-1-0 Seattle needs to be careful, another bad loss like the one to Arizona last week, and double digits could be in this teams future.

10 49ers 2-0-0 Frank Gore gets props for playing after the death of his mother. Two scores didn't hurt his teams effort either. This team just needs to keep riding Gore.

11 Texans 2-0-0 The Texans look good to this point. But this week they play the Colts, and to make things tougher, star wide receiver Andre Johnson is doubtful due to a sprained knee.

12 Packers 2-0-0 Again, another team taking advantage of less than stellar play from other teams, although Favre looked good last weekend. This weeks game with San Diego will be a test.

13 Redskins 2-0-0 Despite numerous injuries on the O-Line, the protection for Jason Campbell has been good. If he can play a little bit better this team could be good.

14 Titans 1-1-0 It looks life Jeff Fisher will be with the Titans a long time. Hopefully, so will Vince Young. Now if they could just add a couple more pieces to this puzzle.

15 Panthers 1-1-0 My apologies to Steve Smith. Even after two touchdowns, one being the greatest run after a catch I have ever seen, Carolina still lost. Can a man get some help?

16 Bengals 1-1-0 531 yards of offense, 45 points, and a loss. Like I said at the beginning of the year, there is no defense on the Bengals.

17 Jaguars 1-1-0 Thank God for Atlanta, or this team is 0-2. The rushing game needs to get going. So does the passing game. What happened to the once powerful offense?

18 Lions 2-0-0 Lions third-string QB Dan Orlovsky, speaking about Jon Kitna, told the Detroit Free Press: 'Indy can have Peyton and New England can have Tom, but we wouldn't trade this guy for anyone in the world.' Dan must be taking GM lessons from Matt Millen.

19 Cardinals 1-1-0 Edgerrin James rushes for 128 yards, and Matt Leinart throws for almost 300. While they did deserve to win this game, you can't make a habit of blowing 17-0 leads and expect to win.

20 Saints 0-2-0 Two games and the Aints have scored 24 points. The other two teams scored a combined 72; not good. Not to worry, the next home game will be free paper bags with eye holes day.

21 Eagles 0-2-0 Donovan McNabb is struggling, so he makes his play a race issue. Not to mature for a team leader. At least the Phillies still have a shot.

22 Vikings 1-1-0 This team will fall fast if Tavaris Jackson doesn't shape up quick. Adrian Peterson is a very good back, but why did a team that already had a good back pass on Brady Quinn?

23 Buccaneers 1-1-0 Jeff Garcia is once again showing how much he can do with an average football team. But can he take this average team to the next level?

24 Jets 0-2-0 WR Justin McCareins dropped a sure TD pass in the last two minutes. If that wasn't bad enough, he did it again less than a minute later. Eric "cry baby snitch" Mangini has no excuse for this bad loss. He better get an excuse ready for next week.

25 Browns 1-1-0 The Browns look pretty smart for getting rid of Charlie Frye and starting Derek Anderson. If it works against an NFL defense this week, things could be looking up

26 Rams 0-2-0 Losing the first two games of the season at home is bad. Six of the next eight on the road is worse. Steven Jackson playing poorly is the final ingredient for racking up a top five pick in the 08 Draft.

27 Giants 0-2-0 This may be the second worst defense in the NFL, giving up 80 points in two games. Throw in a quarterback who would have been benched last year if his name wasn't Manning, and this is a recipe for disaster.

28 Dolphins 0-2-0 I know the Dolphins haven't found the next Marino, but they could attempt to find someone better than he would be if he was still playing. Hmmmmm... Ted Ginn Jr., or Brady Quinn? Thats a tough one.

29 Raiders 0-2-0 This was a tough loss to swallow. I don't say this much, but the Raiders show potential for the near future. If they can add Jamarcus Russell into the mix by next year, as well as a good running back to go with a solid defense, and this could be a playoff team in a couple years.

30 Bills 0-2-0 JP Losman and Lee Evans need to find each other and quick. Roscoe Parrish is always the fastest guy on the field, and almost never used. Marshawn Lynch was a great pick, but they screwed their cap by way overpaying for the O-Line. Not a good outlook, especially with New England next week.

31 Chiefs 0-2-0 A week one loss to Houston is never a good sign. Another elite back is struggling on a real bad team. You know it's bad when Priest Holmes starts looking like a legit option.

32 Falcons 0-2-0 Two games; ten points scored. Even Dana Phillips knows that's not good. Morten Andersen just won't die and it's a good thing for Atlanta. The old kicker almost killed someone with sideline seats on that 26 yard field goal try. Sure, Joey Harrington in Detroit must have been a fluke, right?

It is fair to say that through two weeks of the NFL season, many things have not gone according to plan. Teams who played over their heads last year, are coming back to earth. Teams that have been bad, are all of a sudden starting to see the light. And that is why the NFL is the greatest pro sports league in the country. Because a team that was one of the worst in the league last year, and who got beat bad in week one, can put up 51 points and win in week two.

First for the positives so far, and there a good amount of surprises. For the first time in franchise history, the Texans have started 2-0. I guess it wasn't totally the offensive lines fault that David Carr was so bad in Houston. Matt "Charles" Schaub is proving he can be a starter and succeed in this league. And the happiest guy in the league has to be Andre Johnson who looks like he finally has a legit passing offense. Another team that has surprised is Green Bay, who snuck out a win against the Eagles in week one, and played very well against the Giants in week two. I guess Mr. Favre really can still play. And props to Cleveland, although they made Pittsburgh look like the Patriots in week one, anyone who can put up 51 points in one game can't be to bad.



With the positives come the negatives, and here they are. I am pretty sure it is clear to most around the league that the Saints played way over their heads last year, especially on defense. As I said before the season, the Bengals have the worst defense in the league, proven by the fact that the Bengals gave up 51 points to the Cleveland freakin Browns. Derek Anderson was made to look like Joe Montana. And the biggest disappointment this year so far has to be San Diego, and as I said at the end of last year, you can't go from 14-2 with one coach, and get better with a new coach. This is a transition year for the Chargers, but look for them to do very well in 08.



In the end, it is only week two, and the season is far from over. The season is still just getting underway, and teams are still trying to find their feet. As a Steeler fan I will admit that the Steelers two wins looked good, but were against weaker teams. Weak teams or not, take early wins where you can get them. And as for the fantasy players out there, the top two backs in most leagues are killing a lot of teams right now. LT has done nothing, and as a Stephen Jackson and Maurice Drew owner, I am about ready to quit. Lucky for me I have the fantasy stud of the year, Randy Moss. How did this guy not go in the top 3 rounds of my 12 team draft. I was laughing when I stole him that late. What football fan can't see Tom Brady + Randy Moss as a good thing?

My apologies to any "sports fan" living in Los Angeles, but LA just isn't a sports town. Sorry, but they just don't have what it takes, and for everyone who has ever liked sports while living in another city should know. I always knew it, but have finally seen the light while living in Pittsburgh. A true sports fan just can't prosper in Los Angeles. And for those people who think they are ok because they live in San Diego, that’s half a sports town.



Even though the Pirates haven't had a winning season in 15 years, the Pirates generate almost as much buzz in Pittsburgh as the Dodgers do in LA. True, Pittsburgh doesn't have a basketball team, but LA doesn't have any basketball fans. (Jack Nicholson doesn't count, he's a front runner) LA has a hockey team, and one with a lot of potential at that, but I am pretty sure most Los Angelinos don't even know it exists. And although USC is a college football dynasty better than I thought possible, it just doesn't have a real big time football atmosphere. More just a bunch of old rich white people with nothing better to do with a Saturday.

As an NFL fan, you have not lived until you have spent a game day in an NFL city. Especially an NFL city like Pittsburgh, where most people will skip church (and Pittsburgh is pretty religious) in a heartbeat to watch the Steelers. When going to a USC football game, I leave with just enough time to get in my seat 15 minutes before kick off. Tomorrow, I will be leaving at 10:30 for a 1:00 kick off. And the stadium is a 15 minute drive away. Going to an NFL game is an all day event. There is nothing like good barbeque and some beer with a bunch of people you love despite meeting them five minutes ago.



I love Los Angeles, and despite a lot of overpriced slums, it is one of the coolest cities ever. The weather is great year round, (It's mid September and freaking 35 tonight in Pittsburgh) and once you learn to speak Spanish, you really get to liking the people. I would move back to LA in a second, but I don’t mind spending a couple years in a great sports town. And tomorrow is going to be a great day, my first real NFL game day in a long time.