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This is the Ol’ Sports Talker and he is wishing everyone a safe Friday the 13^th!

How bad is a sport when it’s biggest hero retired some years ago? I’m talking about Cal Riken Jr. and baseball. Each team has some hero’s, but before you know it, they are traded. I guess you could make a case for Ken Griffey Jr. I don’t know anyone who has a bad thing to say about him. Baseball just seems to be filled this days with multi-millionaires who do steroids and HGH and could care less about fans or the HOF.

At least football has stars and hero’s. You either love them or respect them, like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Brett Farve. The list is too long to start typing here. Many thought NASCAR was through when Dale Earnhardt died. Only to be replaced by a new wave of hero’s. And even though NASCAR drivers don’t do as many autograph session that they used to, it’s still semi-fan friendly.

Hockey and Indy Car Racing have their own hero’s known within each sport. In fact, Hockey and Indy Car Racing seem to go out of their way to get their players/racers...

This is the Ol’ Sports Talker Football is over for another season. All I have to look forward to is the NFL draft and minor league baseball.

Super Bowl 43 is History and it was one of the best super Bowls I have seen. The Arizona Cardinals had a chance to put the Steelers away, only to come up short in the end. The game that the “experts” said no one would watch, turned out to be one of the highest games ever. I have had to listen to Pittsburgh Steelers fans tell me that their team is the greatest of al time. (Sorry, I’m not sure of that.) That is usually followed by how great the Cowboys are. I have to congratulate the Steelers and their fans for six Super Bowl victories. Now we have free agency and the NFL draft to look forward to.

Albert Haynesworth a COLTS? While at the NFL Pro Bowl, someone tossed him a COLTS helmet. I have mixed emotions about this. While I would love to see him bring his intensity to the COLTS, The picture of him stepping on a payer is still in my mind. Bill Polian is not one to...

This is the Ol’ Sports Talker saying that January has flown by. Now more than ever we needs sports!

With so many people unemployed, (the Ol’ Sports Talker included) have seen their hours cut back, now more than ever we need sports! During World War II, the baseball commissioner went to President Roosevelt and asked him if Major League Baseball should suspend playing. President Roosevelt responded that more than ever, the nation needed sports. (Side note: The Indianapolis 500 did shut down for the war years.)

From high school sports to the big leagues we need them more now than ever. No matter how bad you have it right now, just think of the Chicago Cubs and you will feel better! Year after year after year the golden ring is right there for the Cubbies, only to see it just inches from their grasp or to get it, then drop it. Or think about the Tampa Bay Rays. Since they came into the league they were cellar dwellers. They dropped the “devil” from their name and went to the World Series.

Now we have the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. They flirted with good teams while back in St. Louis,...

This is the Ol’ Sport Talk wishing everyone a belated Happy New Year!

I'm over the shock of my Indianapolis COLTS going 1 and done! Four out of the eight years they have done that! Arghh! Tony Dungy has stepped down as Head Coach to answer a higher calling. Good luck Tony! Critics say that Tony should have done more with the talent he had. Who knows? I'm happy that the COLTS were perennial winners from a team that always had high hopes at the beginning of the season only to be let down by 1/2 way through.

The Baltimore Ravens are in the hunt for another Super Bowl. Will the City of Baltimore EVER get over the Colts leaving? They have to be the bitterest fans I have ever seen. You don't hear Boston or Milwaukee complain about the Braves in MLB. Even as bad as the Timber wolves are in the NBA, you don't hear fans complain about the LA Lakers. Or even Philadelphia or Kansas City complain about the A's! I have known COLTS fans who go to a game in Baltimore to see the COLTS-Ravens play, get harassed by the fans. Let it go already!

Speaking...

This is the Ol’ Sport Talker and I had a very interesting conversation on Christmas.

The topic was: How to fix Notre Dame Football.

Join a conference. Why you ask? Recognition. High school recruits coming in for a look-see would see Conference Championship banners provided ND would win one. In the world of Youtube clips and sound bites, recruits want to know, (As Janet Jackson sang,) “what have you done for me lately!”

Lets compare Notre Dame to a few universities around the area. First the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Notre Dame’s last title came in 1993. While UC has never won a National Title, they just won the Big East title. Not only will UC have a banner at their stadium, but the players will get a Big East Championship ring!

Now you bring in High School recruits and they meet with current players and see “bling” in the form of a ring. They see a trophy in the case, which is more impressive? Something from 15 years ago, not to mention 3+ coaches ago, or something recent?

Bragging rights: Tom O’Brien after his NC State Wolfpack beat the UNC Tarheels in football, Immediately announced, “We are the best...

The Ol’ Sports Talker glad it‘s finally over!.

The Brett Favre saga that is. For weeks now He said he was coming, then he wanted to be traded. The Packers Powers said no, then yes, then we will offer you money. In the end, the Commissioner’s office said to settle this thing!

The Ol’ Sports Talker is feeling nostalgic this week.

I have a lot of great sports memories from my life. The AFCCG a couple of years ago when the Indianapolis Colts beat the hated New England Patriots. I cried like a bride on her wedding day. (Okay, maybe a groom. I don’t have a lot of experience in that field.) I’m not ashamed to admit that I sobbed when the COLTS won and went on to win the Super Bowl over Da Bears.

Or how my Dad and I would go out and clean the garage while we listened to the Indianapolis 500 back in the 60’s. (ABC would tape delay it and show it later that night.) On Monday we would always have a huge picnic with family and friends. My Dad would play the part of Grill Master and my Mom always made the best potato salad.

But my best sports memory was getting off of school when I was in Junior High School. My Grandmother lived about 4 blocks away from the Junior High School. So instead of taking the bus home, I would walk to her house and wait for my Dad to pick me up....

And now another episode of “As the Favre Turns” The Ol’ Sports Talker on the edge of his seat.

The scene opens and we hear Brett Favre say. (Sung by Engelbert Humperdinck) “Please release me, let me go.”

The Packers Management replies. (Sung by En Vogue ) “No, you're never gonna get it, never ever gonna get it. No, no, no no, you're never gonna get it, never ever gonna get it!”

Brett replies. (Sung by the Beatles) “I’m a real no where man, living in a no where land.”

Look over there! It’s the Minnesota Viking and Chicago Bears! (Sung by the Beatles) “Baby you can drive our car, Yes you’re gonna be a star, Baby you can drive our car
And baby we love you!”

The Packers Management again. (Sung by the Beatles.) “Get back, get back! Get back to where you once belonged. Get back, get back! Get back to where you once belonged.”

Bret Favre to the Packers Management. (Sung by the Beatles) “I don't like you. But I love you. See that I'm always thinking of you. Oh, oh, oh! You treat me badly, I love you madly. You've really got a hold on me....

NASCAR silly season keeps getting earlier. The Ol’ Sports Talker is having a good Summer!

Now that Tony Stewart has left Joe Gibbs Racing, Speculation is that Ryan Newman will join Stewart in Stewart-Hass Racing in 2009. Don Miller (Penske’s #2 guy) crafted Ryan Newman in the image of Mark Donohue. Pretty soon drivers will be jumping teams week to week, if this trend continues.

Billy Packer is leaving CBS sports after calling his Final Four this past March. 34 straight Final Fours. What a record. I still remember back in 1979 he said that Indiana State had no right being #1 in the country in basketball. This made me mad and gave me a grudge that I still harbor to this day. I was at Indiana State at the time with Larry Bird. His son, Mark Packer, has the drive-time slot here in Charlotte on sports talk radio, WFNZ. I imagine that Billy will still do ACC games with Ray-com Sports.

David Stein of Sporting News Radio made me think back to my youth. He brought up that the annual MLB All-Star game was a special “snack time”. Growing up with a middle class family, it was true in...

Nightly local news. I almost hardly watch it for sports. This about it. They have maybe 3 minutes to do their sports. By the time they hit a top story and run down the scores, TV sports is over. Even ESPN Sports center will only have maybe 30 seconds worth of video of you favorite team.

Then there’s the local newspaper. 8 pages of sports with 4 of them advertisements. 1 page of scores and stats and that leaves 3 pages for real sports. They MIGHT have 1 beat writer followed by wire sports stories. Rarely do I EVER incorporate anything from the paper into my blog, or shows. (The vice-versa has happened though.) papers will pick up on Sports Talk Radio for their stories.

The whole point of this was that I actually read something in the paper that got me thinking. Brandon and Kareem Rush of the Indiana Pacers! They are brothers. I had to think when the last set of brothers played for the same NBA team. Sure...