it's not how you play the game, it's how you look when you play the game

Favorite new obscure Web site: www.uniwatchblog.com, covering all manner of athletic wear. Click here to read about the author's giddy visit to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum (inside the Heinz History Center). He's particularly fond of the gold shoes sported by L.C. Greenwood.

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parity rears its ugly head

Of the 12 teams in the league, 7 have records of 2-1.

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these are the ties that try women's souls

First tie of the season, between the Shiners and Winehausfrau. Tiebreaker: Bench points. Edge: Winehausfrau.

The commish is considering a new tiebreaker next year. Click here for a preview.

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steve smith squared

Stats through two games:

Giants WR Steve Smith: 16 catches, 214 yards, 1 TD, 16 fantasy points.

Panthers WR Steve Smith: 11 catches, 152 yards, 0 TD, 7 fantasy points.

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it's been 15 years ...

... since Kordell Stewart's greatest play ever. Unfortunately, he was not a member of the Steelers at the time. Relive the "Miracle at Michigan" (September 24, 1994) by clicking here.

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note to our card-carrying member of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Among this year's recipients of the MacArthur Foundation's "genius" grants ($500,000, no strings attached) is Jerry Mitchell of the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, who has spent years reported on unpunished killings from the civil rights era.

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if you missed the colts-dolphins game ...

... you missed a strange one. Miami ran 84 plays to the Colts' 35 (just 14 of those in the second half). Miami rushed for 239 yards to the Colts' 61. Miami converted 15 of 21 first downs. The Colts had the ball for less than 15 minutes out of 60. What happened? Colts win, of course, on an 80-yard, 30-second drive late in the game.

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R.I.P. henry gibson

Known for his comic roles and light verse, he was also an environmental activist and former Air Force intelligence officer. And though he seemed to affect a Southern accent, he was born in Germantown, Pa.

THE THUMBNAIL
Did you ever stop to figure
why the thumbnail is so hard?
Well, it hasn't got much choice
with all that skin to guard.
It may look fat and pudgy
but its heart is good and true.
It's prettier than a toenail ...
and easier to chew.

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week 2: burning up the bench

Babs' win over Steel Curtain is all the more impressive when you consider that she had Tennessee RB Chris Johnson (31 points) on the bench.

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week 2: at war with themselves

* Montana's bench outscored the starters, 31-27.
* Cat Success' bench outscored the starters, 40-31.

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elsewhere in blogville ...

The blog we started at the paper to celebrate Southeastern Conference football has done pretty well so far -- we're among the half-dozen most-read blogs. While some locals have accused us of shoving SEC football down their throats (hey, that sounds like something Serena Williams would say), there's no shortage of Deep South zealots here in Charlotte. If you're interested in reading more about the realest football this side of Pittsburgh, click here.

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somebody get Jeff George on the line

In his last two games (last season's playoff loss and this season's home opener), Carolina QB Jake Delhomme has 9 intereceptions and 2 fumbles.

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free agent alert: tight ends

Three TEs scored in double digits in Week 1: Seattle's John Carlson, New England's Ben Watson and New Orleans' Jeremy Shockey.

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at war with themselves

9th Mississippi Cavalry's 6-person bench outscored their 8-person starting lineup, 39-38.

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a salute to catastrophic success

For their decision-making a couple of weeks ago when they dropped the Eagles defense and immediately picked them back up. That wizard-like move (or moves) provided the margin of victory for Cat Success over Steel Curtain -- the Eagles D had 31 points, more than any fantasy life form up to and including Drew Brees.

Naturally, Cat Success celebrated by again berating the commish as to why fantasy scoring isn't more weighted toward defense.

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your all-minus team, week 1

* Mike Goodson, RB, Carolina (free agent): -1
* Anthony Fasano, TE, Miami (free agent): -2
* Jake Delhomme, QB, Carolina (Weapons of Pass Destruction, but soon to be a free agent): -4

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health care reform? don't worry, the insurance business will get along just fine

Click here to read about Fantasy Sports Insurance, which will reimburse a fantasy football player's entry fee if one of their players misses a certain number of games because of injury.

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Talk Like a Pirate Day is Sept. 19

"We have a plan in place for making this team competitive."

Whoops, wrong Pirates.

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